On Thursday December 8, 2011, at 10:30 a.m., members from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office communications section will bring holiday cheer to children and staff at Memorial Hospital Central. Patches the Bear and his “patrol car” will be putting smiles on the faces of children struggling with illness this holiday season.
The program, A Beary Merry Christmas, was started in 2003 by Liz Brown, the Communications Center Director. It is intended to supports children who are hospitalized over the holidays by sharing stuffed animals and the company of Patches the Bear.
“We want the children to know the Sheriff’s Office understands the hardships of being in the hospital during this time of year,” said El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa. “Liz and her staff do an outstanding job every year to help the children forget about their pain for a while. I also want to thank the local Wal-Mart stores for their support in making this program a success for the last eight years.”
Sergeant Mike Schaller will be on hand for the event to answer any questions.