about the DSC Foundation

As a police officer, many times I’ve been called to a residence for various reasons on Christmas Eve. I’ve peered inside to find a bare and undecorated tree in the living room, with several children sitting around it, each child with hope and anticipation that Santa was coming. I knew as well as the parents that those children were going to wake up to that same barren tree on Christmas morning and have nothing to open. While their friends played with new toys and discussed the many gifts that Santa left for them, I knew those kids would be silent and wondering what they did wrong that prevented Santa from visiting them. I could see the pain and despair in the parents’ eyes, and the helplessness they felt knowing that they were forced to choose between feeding their children and keeping them warm or providing them with Christmas presents. No child should ever wake up to an empty Christmas tree on Christmas morning, and no parent should ever have to feel the pain of their child’s broken heart.

In 2023, Sanford Claus was born. As a patrol officer in a small rural town, I decided that year to start keeping track of the lowest income households in the area in which I patrolled. When I was called upon to make location for various reasons, I made notes of the financial situations of the families. As a community-oriented police officer, I strived to get acquainted and familiar with as many people in my town as possible. I made a vow to ensure that the children in the lowest income households were, at the very least, provided with Christmas presents that year. I went to the local elementary school counselors and left wish lists for them to distribute to the parents of the children in the lowest income brackets. I spoke to pastors and priests and had them do the same with their congregations and parishes. I enlisted the help of my amazing wife, Kristi Cook, and with the assistance of a few volunteers and the other officers on my shift, N. Perez, T. Menard, J. Proffitt, and Sgt. M. Wooldridge, we were able to provide Christmas for 44 children that year. The presents were delivered on Christmas Eve night, wrapped, bagged, and labeled, by me and my fellow officers. We were in uniform, in our patrol vehicles, and played sleigh bells over our PA systems when we arrived at the houses. We explained to the kids that the world has become so crowded, that Santa now relies on Police Officers to cover certain areas so he can make sure and get to everyone.

In 2024, Sanford Claus was able to deliver presents in the same manner to 66 children, only in different parts of Galveston County. Moving forward, we have now become a legitimate 501c3 charity organization called the Deputy Sanford Claus Foundation. It is our mission to provide the miracle of Christmas to the many children in Galveston County that would otherwise have no way to celebrate the birth of Christ, and to provide just as many opportunities to those looking to make miracles happen.

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