Bibb County Sheriff’s Office delivers gifts to Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital

"So we really utilize the families to kind of find out, like, what have they been wanting lately. Is it that specific Barbie doll? Is it that Lego set? What do they like so that we can really try to cater it to them," said Heather Trescott, Certified Child Life Specialist for Atrium.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – It was A Night of Lights last Friday at Atrium Health Navicent, and Thursday night, it will be a night of gifts.

The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office decided to join Atrium for holiday fun on Thursday as they delivered various gifts to patients at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital.

According to Atrium Health Navicent, the donations are part of Atrium’s Holly Jolly Shoppe, and the gifts are to benefit young patients hospitalized this holiday season and throughout the year. They’re used to provide distraction and therapeutic play for children receiving treatment.

Bibb County Sheriff David Davis and Atrium’s Certified Child Life Specialist, Heather Trescott, shared their thoughts with us.

“The deputies and employees of the sheriff’s Office got together and donated toys, and we got them all in the back of the truck to deliver,” Sheriff Davis said. “So this is sort of like a Santa’s Sleigh in sort of a way, Santa’s Sleigh with a sheriff emblem on the side of it, to bring the toys up to the kids this year. It’s always an uplifting thing for us at the sheriff’s office, and we’re just happy to be able to do it, to help these kids that are up here getting treatment in the hospital.”

“It’s just that connection to these kids, and to let them know that somebody in the community cares about them and that we’re thinking about them,” he added. “Obviously, nobody really wants to be in the hospital during the holiday season, but these toys are an expression of our love for them and our thoughts for them.”

“Whether it’s a Christmas present, whether it’s a birthday present, a prize, they’re just so thankful for it because they just weren’t expecting it,” Trescott said. “It really just puts a big smile on their face.”

“We like to make sure that the kids are getting items that’s specifically something that they’re going to enjoy and they love,” she added. “So we really utilize the families to kind of find out, like, what have they been wanting lately. Is it that specific Barbie doll? Is it that Lego set? What do they like so that we can really try to cater it to them? So that’s why it’s so awesome for organizations like the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office to do this, because they bring us so many choices, so many toys, so many choices.”

Sheriff Davis says they have been doing this for 20 years. The Holly Jolly Shoppe will accept donations from community organizations throughout the month of December.