Media Release

December 10, 2004

Media Contacts:

Rosann Doran                                                 

Public Information Officer                    

Broomfield employees-turned-elves help Santa surprise less privileged families

Broomfield city and county employees decided to become Santa’s elves this year, helping make sure those less privileged in Broomfield have happy holidays.

In Municipal Court, judges Barbara Koehler and Willard Hardesty always require defendants to pay $15 in court costs. This time of year, defendants pay their $15 with gift cards.

Since Nov. 1, the court has collected 93 grocery gift cards and 154 department store gift cards. More will probably come in before the end of the collection period on Dec. 17.

Some defendants are getting into the spirit of the season, too, bringing in gift cards for $20 and $25 instead of just the required $15 – no “change” required.

Soon, court employees will don their Santa hats. Working with social services staff at Health and Human Services (HHS), they identified 23 families whose holidays could use a boost. A 10-member team of employees from Broomfield’s Combined Courts are now planning to do some serious shopping.

The 57 individuals in the chosen families include senior citizens, kids and adults. In their spare time before the holidays, staff members will divide up the gift cards and go shopping to buy gifts on each individual’s “wish list.” Then they will wrap the gifts and deliver them to HHS for distribution.