BADGE OF COMPASSION; SHERIFF'S STATIONS GIVE TOYS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

A patrol car may not be a sleigh, but for underprivileged children, Santa is always a welcome sight.

Reaching into their own pockets and opening their hearts, deputies at the Palmdale and Lancaster sheriff's stations are collecting toys in an effort to make the holidays a little brighter for children in need.

``In most cases, just to get a toy of any kind would be more than what they would get at all,'' said Deputy Paul Ullman, who is organizing the second annual toy drive at the Palmdale sheriff's station.

Each year, the sheriff's station receives calls from people asking for assistance getting toys for children.

``We try and find out a little bit about them,'' Ullman said. ``We like to see if there's a special need that we can accomplish for them within our limits.''

While most of the donations will come from the deputies and station staff, the sheriff's relief association annually contributes to each station's toy drive.

Community members may also donate new and unwrapped toys or make monetary donations to the toy drive.

``It's mostly all from us,'' Ullman said. ``This is our community. We want to show we care.''

All of the collected items will be delivered by patrol car a few days before Christmas, officials said.

In Lancaster, anyone wishing to donate items can bring a new, unwrapped toy to the front desk at the Lancaster sheriff's station at 501 W. Lancaster Blvd.

``The community here has always been very generous,'' said Deputy Theresa Dawson.

Officials said they try to distribute toys within the Antelope Valley but also help other areas where collections are not as great.

Toys donated to the station will be distributed through the Antelope Valley Interfaith Council.

``We will give our toys to them and ask the pastors to give them to those who are most needy,'' Dawson said. ``Those are the kids we really want to hit.''

Operations Assistant Susie Kaplar is heading up this year's toy drive for the Lancaster sheriff's station.

``It's a wonderful project,'' she said. ``Last year we helped 123 different agencies throughout Los Angeles County to make sure that boys and girls had toys for Christmas.''

This year the sheriff's station received almost 1,000 toys from two community groups.

The Ladies Auxiliary of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7823 donated 600 new and used stuffed animals.

In a second donation, four women who work in the laundry room at Challenger Memorial Youth Center took some of their profits from selling snacks and brought 375 toys that they donated to the sheriff's station. The women purchased 75 of the toys with their own money.

``A needy child is a needy child. It's one of the things that I really enjoy about working here - being able to help children,'' Kaplar said.

The sheriff's station in turn donated the 225 toys to Children's Bureau of the Antelope Valley and 150 toys to the Valley Oasis Shelter, including 14 bicycles.

Other toys will be donated to various other outreach organizations.

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PHOTO (Color) Susie Kaplar displays some of the toys collected by the Lancaster sheriff's station.

Jeff Goldwater/Daily News