Connecticut State Troopers of Troop I Make it a Merry Christmas

By Patrice-Anne Baillargeon, MBA

On a grey, raw and rainy December 6, 2014, tree’s stripped of leaves, The Connecticut State Troopers of Troop I in Bethany, CT under the helm of Sgt. Brent Aiken sought to show some of the spirit and generosity of this great country by running a toy/clothing drive for needy families in their jurisdiction. It was a day for gloves, hats, and coats.

A day when the wind readily chapped your cheeks and let you know Mother Nature was in control of your comfort or discomfort level...

The cold was biting & bitter for those who volunteered to brave the cold standing outside the double doors of the Walmart, in Naugatuck, CT that Saturday , but our hearts were warmed over and over that day as the people of Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Bethany and the surrounding towns opened their hearts and their wallets.

The massive Walmart, on 1100 New Haven Road, tucked high on a hill in the valley, resplendent in its Christmas finery…had carriages rolling in and generosity rolling out. Carriage after carriage made a point to say a few words to the troopers and their families as shoppers stopped and dropped off bags of toys, clothes, diapers, socks, pajama’s, sporting equipment, computer printers, cash and gift cards.

It was an endless parade of the best part of the American spirit that passed the troopers, the want to help those in need, to do more than you can for those who can’t… Christmas would reach every part of the valley… those who passed us made sure of that, thank you… each of your anonymous contributions made a difference in the life of a stranger…

Jolly Old St. Nick, made an appearance, complete in his red velvet suit, and long white beard. The sight of him delighted the most young of volunteers. Some children never know that joy, circumstances dictate otherwise…

Back at the Troop I barracks, in a corner of the garage, with a makeshift folding table, my sisters and our friends, set up and began our sorting process early that morning. Girls pajama’s, clothing, and toys, boy’s pajama’s, clothing, and toy’s, adult clothing, and adult items, diapers, wipes, and infant blankets and toys. We were given lists of what some families needed and throughout the day our eyes welled with some of the requests, diapers…toiletries…winter hats and coats…(the basic necessities of life) some didn’t even list toys, just the simple needs to keep their kids warm.. We were all once again reminded of how truly lucky we are. It was the start to our holiday season, the season of giving…

The silver State Trooper SUV worked in tandem with the silver Bethany Police SUV to drop off collected items from WalMart. The trucks would arrive, backseat and trunk jammed to capacity, with gigantic garbage bags of toys, clothes, and necessities. The sorting process began, and as truckload after truckload continued to stream into the barracks every couple of hours throughout the course of the day the sorting and tears scenario repeated themselves as we were all humbled by the overwhelming generosity of strangers… As the curtain of darkness fell on us in the barracks garage that night, we continued to sort multiple items for the families in need. There was an enormous amount to donate to area churches for families in need. Sixteen days before Christmas, the residents of these area towns sought to change the minutes and moments of December 25th for many families they would never meet.

We sorted footballs, basketballs, baseball gloves, toy trains, baby dolls, children’s books, puzzles, skateboards, Hello Kitty pajama’s and toys, Disney coloring books, “Frozen” stuffed animals, Tonka trucks, Toy Story movies, Barbie dolls, Candy Land, Monopoly, Trouble, Uno, Diapers, Wipes, Hanes t-shirts, ski hats, gloves, scarves, blankets, snow shovels, ice melt, play doh, crayons, coloring books, toy trucks, fire trucks, police cars, match box cars, make-up, lip gloss, craft sets, winter coats, boots and multiple items of clothing for all ages. Everything in mainstream culture… above and beyond the simple requests that the families in need had listed was there, everything that a child could have wanted or needed was there….

We took a air hockey table out of the truck from one of the runs as we unloaded.. We all stopped what we were doing and just stared. Our eyes welled, we took a moment , regrouped and continued…The generosity from the smallest item to the largest item singularly and collectively was overwhelming. The staggering site of the dank, cold State Police Barracks Garage filled with so many corners of life, of hope, of a promise for a great Christmas morning was heart-warming innumerable times that day.

At the WalMart, the State Troopers and their families stood in that cold, all day as the residents of the towns they served thanked them, gave them one item, bags of items, gave cash donations, and gift cards, and a wish that they all “could do more…” (that is the spirit of America, that is what we are all about, not the lone wolves that some choose to model… we are better than that, and that day, the hundreds of Americans who passed them shown that kindness and goodness over and over again…)

Back at the barracks garage, we unfolded the lists that social services had provided to us detailing the requests and the ages and stages of their families in need …diapers, a shovel, childrens gloves, hats, coats, pajama’s, shampoo.

It was sharp contrast to the types of items we witnessed going into other carriages as well as our own on Black Friday and the consequent shopping days leading up to Christmas for the items most of us feel “ we need” for the upcoming holidays…

Xmas candy, stocking stuffers, xmas plates and utensils, red and green dish towels, boxes of Christmas cards, xmas-themed pet toys, xmas socks, xmas pajamas, tops, shirts, pants, coats, hats, gloves…Xmas ornaments and boxes of multi-colored string lights, xmas lawn ornaments, and holiday scented candles, xmas movies for the young and old, toys, and the food, …oh the food… holiday platters of fruit, cheese and crackers, cider, eggnog of all varieties, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin, eggs, waffles, pancakes, sausage and bacon for xmas breakfast, xmas cookie baking supplies and cookie cutters for the sugar cookies, poinsietta’s for the table, Christmas-themed tablecloths, gift cards for presents and two or three boxes of Russell Stover candy for the neighbors, xmas Hallmark cards for the special people in our lives and xmas money holders for mailman, and elderly aunts, long rolls of snowmen, and santa covered wrapping paper, white, green and red tissue paper, gift bags of all sizes, xmas gift boxes and xmas containers for the homemade cookies baked, gift tags, xmas oreo’s for the kids.

It was a moment of clarity… a moment when you realize, My God… do I really need all of the things on my “Christmas List”, when some people are just trying to stay warm?…
The news is filled with reports of those who continue to want to gain notoriety by committing acts so heinous our natural minds can bearly comprehend the evil behind it. I can tell you, what you all already know, they are few…the world is by and large filled with wonderful, caring and generous people who want to see those around them happy, and December 6, 2014 droves of people did this for those in need, in amounts hard to fathom, and anonymously…

We do not know the name of the people who dropped off a Disney Princess 6volt battery quad for a toddler or the 4 separate people who purchased computer printers for the teenagers in need on one on the lists. We will never get to send a personal thank you note to the countless shoppers who left over $1000 in cash to “get whatever they need” and the other dozens of shoppers who left hundreds of dollars of gift cards to a multitude of different stores.

We will never be able to individually send a thank you to all the shoppers who passed the volunteering troopers during the 8+ hour shift they stood in the rain with an “extra” item in their carriage for the needy. Troop I’s donation box outside the double door’s at WalMart, rte.63 in Naugatuck was full from sunrise until sundown that day.

In the early morning hours of December 25th you can arise with a smile knowing that somewhere in your immediate area , because of you, a child, a teenager, or a family will experience the joy of surprise, comfort, warmth, and happiness.

In November of 1969, my father was shot in a near fatal hunting accident resulting in a 9 month hospital stay at the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Haven. My mother explained to me, 7 years old that December and to my 5 year old sister that Santa may not be coming that year…as he had a lot of other children to visit. I had no interest in getting out of bed that Christmas morning because I knew he most likely hadn’t come, she had prepared us. When I did finally get up, along with my sister 5 year old sister Denise, we couldn’t believe all the gifts and toys, he had come!!! Santa had found out from our local church St.Peter’s what we really needed… it was a lesson branded across our hearts for a lifetime…

And so to the age-old question that Virginia O’Hanlon posed to the editor of The Sun Newspaper in 1897 , “Is there a Santa Claus? “ I say, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…in all of us…”
Patrice-Anne Baillargeon, MBA received her B.A. in English from The University of New Haven in 1987 and her Masters in Business Administration from The University of New Haven in 1998. She is the Business Office Manager for The Orthopaedic Group, division of Connecticut Orthopaedic Specialists. She has been employed by The Orthopaedic Group for the last 30 years, and enjoys writing in her off hours. She can be reached at pabaillargeon@att.net.

List of Volunteers from Toy Drive Dec.6, 2014
On site Walmart/Naugatuck Rte.63
Lt. Anthony Schirillo (Commanding Officer of Troop I)
Sgt. Brent Aiken (Admin Sergeant Troop I)
Aimee Aiken( wife)/ Daughters: Mairead, 12 and Bree, 6

Sgt. Ryan Hennessey (Duty Sergeant Troop I)
Caroline (wife) / Julia Hennessey (daughter-19)
TPR. Ryan Burke
TPR. Kate Cummings
TPR. Oliver Devre
TPR. Ross Kuchyt
TPR. Tim Ruppar
Sarah Ruppar(wife) / Son Dylan-8 / Daughter Rylee – 3
TPR. Matt Stephens
OFC. Mark Sheppard (Bethany Officer)
Anne Agata (Aiken family friend)
Patrice-Anne Baillargeon (Aiken relative)
Carolyn (Aiken family friend)
Denise Hogan (Aiken relative)
Beth Parker (Aiken family friend)
Karen Pietruszka (Aiken family friend)
Patrice Vitelli-Luban (Aiken family friend)
Louisa Woodward (Aiken family friend)

Troop I Barracks Volunteer Crew
Sgt. Brent Aiken (Admin Sergeant Troop I)
Aimee Aiken(Sgt. Aiken’s wife)
Bree Aiken (Sgt. Aiken’s dghtr)
Mairead Aiken (Sgt Aiken’s dghtr)
Anne Agata (Aiken family friend)
Patrice-Anne Baillargeon (Aiken relative)
Carolyn (Aiken family friend)
Denise Hogan(Aiken relative)
Beth Parker(Aiken family friend)
Karen Pietruszka (Aiken family friend)
Patrice Vitelli-Luban (Aiken family friend)