RENFREW COUNTY (Pembroke) — On Saturday December 1, the Upper Ottawa Valley Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Auxiliary Unit held their annual “Stuff a Cruiser” event to collect funds, food and toys for those in need. Auxiliary officers with police cruisers were stationed at Giant Tiger, Walmart, Metro, No Frills, and Hyska’s Your Independent Grocer in Petawawa. With the community’s support and generosity the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP Auxiliary Unit were able to raise $2.7 thousand in cash and thousands of dollars in food and toy donations. All donations went directly to the local Kiwanis Club Toy Drive, St. Joseph’s Food Bank in Pembroke and the Petawawa Pantry food bank in Petawawa.
Upper Ottawa Valley OPP Detachment Commander Stephan Neufeld would like to thank the OPP Auxiliary members for their initiative and their efforts towards contributing to the well-being of those in need in our community. Inspector Neufeld would also like to thank the various businesses that assisted the Auxiliary Unit in this endeavor and the public for their overwhelming support and generosity.
Inspector Neufeld stated, “I would like to personally thank the volunteers and donors that made this event such a great success. The generosity exhibited by our community to help one another makes me proud to be the Detachment Commander of the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP.”
Auxiliary OPP members would like to thank the businesses who allowed them to position Auxiliary officers and police cruisers outside their businesses to accept donations, as well as Discount Car and Truck Rentals for donating the use of a cube van to transport all the toys and food. Without this support the event could not take place. Thank you for helping us “Stuff a Cruiser”!