The Christmas season was a bit brighter and merrier thanks to the efforts of local first responders and donations from the community.

Both the Cape Coral Police Department and Cape Coral Fire Department hosted toy drives to give back to children whose families needed some help and/or children with a chronic illness.

CCFD collected toys and gifts for local children who have special needs, have illnesses such as cancer, are in foster care, or have families struggling with financial difficulties.

Donations for boys and girls of all ages (newborn to 17 years) were called for. Toys were distributed a few days before the holidays, to ensure a happy Christmas morning. Some toys were picked up by parents, while others were delivered by firefighters on trucks.

“The Cape Coral Fire Department would like to thank the community once again for their support of the annual toy drive,” said CCFD spokesperson, Andrea Schuch. “We had more requests for assistance than in years past, but the community’s generous donations allowed us to fulfill those requests and provide gifts to over 1,000 children.”

Schuch said both the quality and quantity of the donations this year were impressive and appreciated.

CCFD shared a special “thank you” to individuals who donated directly or through some of the department’s partners including: Publix, Palmercare Chiropractic, HWGA Supply, Energy Management Consultants, Inc., and The Caves.

“While the CCFD may coordinate the toy drive, it is only successful because of the community’s generosity,” Schuh said. “On behalf of all of the families that received gifts, thank you.”

CCPD held two of its signature events this holiday season; “Stuff the Cruiser” and “Fill the Boat” as a conduit to gather gifts for local children.

Capt. Matthew Campion of CCPD’s Community Service Bureau said the events resulted in about four or five pick-up trucks full of toys to donate. He said while the amount of toys were less than previous years, the quality of the toys was much improved.

“The response overall was nothing short of amazing,” Campion said. “Once again, the Cape Coral community stepped up in giving back to those families in need.”

The donated toys were distributed to various community partners and programs.

For instance, the “Shop with a Cop” program and its applicants. Campion said the program can only accept so many students who are in need that can be paired with an officer.

“Anyone who applies but is not accepted for the event receives toys from these donations,” he said. “We do not say ‘no’ to anyone who is eligible.”

For “Fill the Boat” all families that apply were eligible to receive help with giving their children a happier holiday.

Other community partners included: Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Children’s Advocacy Agency, Children’s Network of SW Florida, 3H Exchange, Victims Advocacy Program, and Police Athletic League Children.

CCPD began distributing toys Dec. 12 and finished on Dec. 23.

“It is incredibly rewarding to be able to positively impact the lives of children in our own community,” Campion said. “The Cape Coral Police Department is fortunate to have the partnership we do with our community to be able to help and hopefully make a difference in a child’s life.

“We are extremely grateful for the generosity and continued support from the Cape Coral community. Without them, we would not be able to assist our neighbors who may need a little extra help this time of year.”