FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 18, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: KIRA CALM LEWIS at 301-446-332, Kira.CalmLewis@pgparks.com - or –
IYANA MOORE at 301-446-3313, Iyana.Moore@pgparks.com
Photo Op: Maryland- National Capital Park Police and other law enforcement surprise a local family in need with generous Secret Santa event.
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Maryland-National Capital Park Police
Surprise Local Family with Annual Secret Santa Giveaway
Riverdale, MD - The Maryland – National Capital Park Police, a division of the Department of Parks and Recreation, will be surprising a local family for the holidays with gifts for the entire family and an EXTRA SPECIAL GIFT!
WHAT: M-NC Park Police, Prince George’s County Division, play Secret Santa for local family
WHEN: Monday, December 23 at 5 PM (Need media to arrive at 4:45 p.m. for staging at Gold’s Gym, 1723 Ritchie Station Capitol Heights, MD 20743
WHERE: Dave & Busters, 1851 Ritchie Station, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
Presentation: Family will be treated to dinner at Dave & Busters in Ritchie Station … Park Police will arrive at ~5 p.m. for briefing and SURPRISE them with Secret Santa gift presentation ~between 5:30 - 6 p.m. There will be a festive motorcade complete with 10 police motorcycles, 10 police cars, and two Fire trucks with SANTA on TOP!
Officers from the M-NC Park Police, Prince George’s County Division, with donations from the entire police force have raised money to provide gifts for the Green family. Mason Green is a third grader at Maya Angelou French Immersion IB World School.
Resilient should not be the first word that comes to mind when describing an eight-year-old little boy, but Mason truly exemplifies that term. He and his siblings – six-year-old twins Hayward and Haley, and an older teen brother – currently live in their mother’s truck, after facing eviction from their apartment… again. Unfortunately, homelessness is an ongoing cycle for this family and has become their norm.
Following dinner at Dave & Busters, where the children will be gifted clothing and toys in celebration of the holiday, Park Police will then escort them to their temporary housing at a local Extended Stay hotel. There, a small Christmas tree will await them in the room, which they will have access to until the end of January 2020. The room will provide the Green family with a warm and safe place to stay as they wait for their housing application for a Prince George’s County program to be processed, and hopefully, approved.
The Maryland-National Capital Park Police, Prince George’s County Division consists of 133 authorized sworn personnel, 33 civilian employees and approximately 40 volunteers. Title 17, Subtitle 3, Land Use Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland provides the authority to enforce Maryland laws and local ordinances, as well as the rules and regulations specific to The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). The Maryland-National Capital Park Police are tasked with protecting approximately 30,000 acres of park property in Prince George’s County, as well as those who visit and staff M-NCPPC sites.