Each year the Bristow Police Department FOP Lodge #141 holds “Shop with a Cop” for the area children who are less fortunate and may not be able to have Christmas. Each police officer would take a child shopping for that special Christmas wish. This year, due to the pandemic and like many holiday events, this wasn't going to happen. The police department didn't give up though. Instead, they put their heads together and came up with a plan to make the children's holiday special, “Police with Presents”. Each were sent a child's name with a list of what they would like to have for Christmas. The officers went shopping and fulfilled the child's wishes. The funds were raised, for the gifts, by the department through various donations throughout the community.
This year, the department had money left over after purchasing presents for the children, so they decided to use the funds to help our local elderly at Rainbow Nursing Home. Detective Webster, with the Bristow Police Department said, “ So many of these residents haven't gotten to see their families in months, so we thought this would be something nice to do for them, just to let them know we care.” Rainbow Nursing Home's administrator, Adam Young, was contacted to see what type of items the nursing home needed. On Tuesday evening, the department presented the items to Adam Young, Rainbow Administrator and Madilyn Johnson, activities director at Rainbow. The gifts came in a large assortment. Items such as blankets, socks, board games, dominoes, chess games, cookies, bean bag toss games, air hockey games, crossword books, bird feeders, along with bird seed, popcorn, nail polish and hand lotion, for Nail Day at the home, and two DVD players along with DVD's for the residents to enjoy watching.
A special presentation was given to Officer Billy Leatherwood, Bristow PD. The police depatment dedicated the presentation of the gifts to Officer Leatherwood's parents, who both had been reseidents at the home. The plaque read, “Honoring the memory of Billy G. and Patsy Leatherwood. On behalf of the Bristow FOP Lodge #141, these gifts are presented to the beloved residents of Rainbow Nursing Home community on Dec. 16, 2020.” The certificate will hang on the wall inside the nursing home in memory of the Leatherwoods.