Countywide : Santa Cheers Children at Orangewood

Wearing a pair of cool-looking dark shades, Santa Claus stepped out of the police helicopter that landed Wednesday morning on the baseball field at Orangewood Children’s Home. He waved to the children who then rushed toward him to give him hugs.

“I saw Santa!” a red-headed boy said after he greeted the man in the red suit, who was really Huntington Beach Police Officer J.B. Hume.

Hume played the part to visit the children who live at Orange County’s home for abused and neglected children, to let them sit on his lap and to give them gifts.

But he was not alone.

Hume was at the home in Orange with other police officers involved in DARE, a drug awareness and prevention program for fifth- and seventh-grade students. Students in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach and Westminster donated about 600 gifts for the children at Orangewood.

The police officers passed out DARE trading cards and also autographed them. They also told the children about the dangers of drugs and ate lunch with them.

Police Officer Michael Becker, who conducts the DARE program in Fountain Valley, said the gift drive was a way for students to share with others who are less fortunate and won’t be with their families at Christmas.

“It shows where their heart is,” Becker said.

Huntington Beach Police Officer Michael Corcoran, his department’s DARE coordinator, agreed, saying the effort provided an opportunity for his students “to feel good about giving to kids who have problems.”

The children at Orangewood may come from homes where there is drug or alcohol abuse, said Rick Bazant, Orangewood community program specialist. Bazant said the event helps to educate the children and increase their awareness about not using drugs.

Bazant said Christmas is a tough time for the 160 children at Orangewood because they are away from their families.

This holiday, gift donations were down, he said, so presents from the DARE students helped out.

The toy drive is the brainchild of Fountain Valley resident Susan Patton, 46, who wanted to do something special for the Orangewood children.

Last Christmas she organized the event and hopes to keep it a tradition with the help of the police departments.

“A lot of these kids are from families where they were abused or neglected--they are the victims and they are an unfortunate extension of what happens if their parents are drug abusers or not good parents,” Patton said. “It was a natural connection for those kids in DARE to give to these kids.”

Patton also said that having the DARE officers visit the children gives them a positive perception of police.

“The last contact they have is with the police who take them from their homes and they’re brought here,” she said. “Having the police here shows the kids that police aren’t bad people--and the understanding that there are people who care about them.”

One 14-year-old boy said it was extra special that the officers came to visit them.

“They’re really nice and nice to be around,” said the boy, whose name was withheld to protect his identity. “There are some good cops.”

The Orangewood children had a chance to visit with Santa, and they all wore smiles when they were given a stuffed toy, an extra token gift.

“Even the older kids are sneaking hugs of their stuffed animals,” Corcoran said.

A 9-year-old boy jumped off Santa’s lap with a stuffed puppy and said he planned to give it to his sister. “I haven’t seen her in a while,” he said.

An 11-year-old girl cradled the Christmas bear she received and said she was thankful for the officers’ visit.

“They taught us about drugs so we won’t use them,” she said. “It’s neat that they care to come here.”