MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – City police officers working on Christmas got two special feasts Tuesday.
Susan Grose understands some people have to work on Christmas like officers with the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
“They have 12-hour shifts, so they are away from their families,” said Grose, a board member for the Myrtle Beach Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association. “They’re risking their lives.”
The MBCPAAA has put together meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas for MBPD for about five years. The volunteers cooked lunch and dinners, to accommodate officers on different shifts.
Grose says this Christmas feast is a way of thanking officers for their sacrifice.
“They come in one or two times on a shift and get a nice meal,” she said. “They’re always like, ‘Oh, thank you so much!’ We have cookies. We have goodie bags. We even have goodie bags for the K-9s.”
Some officers say this feast is their only chance at a Christmas meal in Myrtle Beach.
“I don’t have any family that lives close by, so being away from them and having a chance to sit down and eat with these guys — I spend more time with them than I do with my real family, so it’s great,” said Ofc. Shawn Gulledge with Myrtle Beach police.
Others say the volunteers who cooked up plenty of delicious food keep them inspired to protect the city on the holiday.
“We have families waiting at home, but they also have families waiting at home too,” said Sgt. Mike Quinn with Myrtle Beach police. “For them to come in and make a huge meal like this, a great meal, is not lost on us.”
“We know that there’s people in the community that are looking out for us as well,” said Ofc. Vincent Padavano with Myrtle Beach police. “Even if it’s just eating food together, it means a lot, especially on Christmas.”
About a dozen restaurants in the city donated food for the MBCPAAA lunch and dinner.
