Grapevine 'Cops' Making Season Bright, Despite Wrapping Skill
GRAPEVINE (CBSDFW.COM) - The holiday buying season just started. But one group is already wrapping things up.
Grapevine Santa Cops just started the monumental task of wrapping gifts for 14-hundred underprivileged kids.
Jason Keller will be the first to admit his wrapping technique is a little unorthodox. The Grapevine police officer says it's a good thing gift wrapping wasn't a requirement on the police academy entrance exam.
But he's performing his duties as best he can as a Grapevine 'Santa Cop'.
"Right now, we're probably going to wrap for approximately 400 families," says Keller.
But for Santa Cops who aren't trained in the art of gift wrapping, there are Santa Cop Helpers like Bryn Jepson. She's with the National Charity League in Colleyville, a mother-daughter organization.
"I love to wrap," Bryn said. "I always wrapped for my dad and mom growing up. I really do love to wrap," she said.
Lauren Jepson is Bryn's 18-year-old daughter. She's having difficulty covering a plastic wrapped basket of perfume and lotion. But she's helped wrap gifts for Grapevine Santa Cops since she was 14.
Looking at one of the gift lists, she said, "This family has six kids. I'm an only child. I guess I'm spoiled compared to these kids. "
They, like many others, have donated their time to wrap the gifts.
Bryn said, "In three hours, I probably wrap 60 to 70 gifts."
Though each gift is covered with Christmas paper , it is really wrapped with love.
"Making something look pretty," Bryn explained.
Unlike the real Santa, Grapevine police can't deliver everything on Christmas Eve. They'll start delivering next week.
Grapevine Santa Cops will distribute $20,000 of gifts this Christmas. The toys and the money for them are donated from local churches, charities and businesses.
