"Sunny Isles Beach Police Share Time for Kids..."
By Chief Fred Maas

If one believes that Christmas is truly a time for giving more than receiving, then the police officers of the Sunny Isles Beach force have gotten it right. For over a month, officers and Command Staff have donated their time to work the collection table at Aventura Mall to benefit the surviving children of police officers killed in the line of duty. The charity is the Police Officers Assistance Trust (P.O.A.T.) and every year as promised, the children are remembered for the sacrifice that their father or mother made for their community.

Many of the officers donating their time did so on their day off. Some did it after working a long, full day of duty. Some did it several times, but all did it because they know that someday it could be one of them and they want to be assured that no one would ever forget their kids if it does. Just this year, an officer from the nearby agency of North Miami Beach was killed in a traffic accident following his tour of duty. He left 3 young daughters and a wife. How difficult will this first Christmas be without him? I can’t imagine but I do know that because of the sacrifices and goodness of the men and women of the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department, their Christmas will be a little less devastating because someone remembered them and their family and their father.

I wish to commend and thank the program coordinator for this year’s P.O.A.T. table collection, Sgt. Don Reynolds. He accepted this assignment with his usual passion to do a great job and help others. He went out and recruited people to get involved and made our collection table the source of the greatest collection of funds of any other location. I am very proud of the unselfish and charitable attitude of our officers toward the less fortunate and those who have been touched by tragedy. Thank you, each and every one of you!

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