Operation Blue Santa Announces Winners; 13-Year-Old Winner Donates Prize


Judge Rafferty draws the winning ticket with Officer Steve Thornburgh

December 19, 2017 - On Monday, December 18th winners were drawn at the court house with the help of Judge Leanne Rafferty and Center Police Department Officer Steve Thornburgh. Congratulations to our IPAD winner, Avery Faulkner, and to our Mossberg 410 Gun winner, Mark Hopkins. Another to big thank you to everyone that purchased raffle tickets for the gun drawing and everyone that brought in a toy for the IPAD drawing.

Monday the 18th was also the last day to turn in applications for Blue Santa. We will now start sorting through toys and lists to make sure we have all we need. No more applications will be accepted but you can still donate toys if you want to help out.

From left: Officer Andrew Williams, Winner of IPAD Avery Faulkner, and Executive Director Denise Merriman of Shelby County Chidren’s Advocacy CenterAfter hearing that she won the IPAD drawing, Avery Faulkner, a 13-year-old student of Shelbyville ISD said, “She felt in her heart that someone else could use the IPAD more than her.” She said she wanted to donate it to the Shelby County Children’s Advocacy Center.

To accept the donation of the IPAD for the SCCAC was Executive Director Denise Merriman. Merriman states, “There are children that go there for counseling and interviews, and sometimes they have to wait, or they may be too nervous to talk to someone. Having the IPAD there for them to play on may make their time there a little less stressful.“

Merriman wants to thank Avery for her kind heart and says, “That not many 13-year-olds would give up such a nice prize.”