Source: The Hornell Evening Tribune
When drivers in western New York state were pulled over for a routine traffic stop, they thought they would drive away with a ticket. They never thought they would walk away with a car full of gifts.
Last Sunday, Hornell Partners for Growth and the Hornell Area Chambers of Commerce gathered a team for “Operation Secret Santa.” The goal: to “put smiles on the faces of people who would otherwise be having a difficult day,” shared
The Tribune.
Officer Jason Day began “Operation Secret Santa” by pulling over cars for minor traffic violations. While Day went over the drivers information he would ask them what they wanted for Christmas. Day then returned to his police car and radioed the answers to volunteers waiting at Walmart.
“I think they were in shock that we were doing that instead of giving her a ticket like we normally would give,” Officer Ryan Harrison, who helped out later in the day, told
The Tribune. “I think it’s great. I also think it’s something we ought to do more of as well,” Harrison said.
The drivers were shocked that they were receiving gifts instead of a ticket. While the volunteers said it took a long time between calls, about two and a half hours each, the reactions made it well worth their time.
“We grabbed a bunch of toys for two little girls and a boy, and the woman was just sobbing uncontrollably. She went to go back into the four-lane, and she had to pull over again because she was crying to hard to see. Those tears of happiness are what the Christmas spirit is all about,” Hornell Partners for Growth Executive Director and Operation Secret Santa Mastermind Shelly Stevens shared.
All of the drivers were let off with a warning for their minor traffic violation. Check out the incredible video below.
