Georgia sheriff raising money to aid needy kids at Halloween

LEESBURG, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia sheriff’s department is raising money to help needy children have a happy Halloween.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office in southwest Georgia will use the cash donations to buy Halloween costumes for kids whose families otherwise couldn’t afford them.

The idea started with a Lee County sheriff’s lieutenant who visits schools each year to give safety tips for trick-or-treating, WALB-TV reported.

“It never fails that every year, there’s always a couple of kids that come out and say they can’t go trick-or-treating, they don’t have a costume,” said sheriff’s spokeswoman Danise Thomas.

The sheriff’s office works with a nonprofit, Lee County Family Connection, which helps financially struggling families, to identify children who would benefit from the Halloween fundraiser.

On Oct. 2, sheriff’s deputies will accompany the children and their parents on a shopping spree at a retailer in nearby Albany. Each child will get $50 to assemble the perfect costume.

“Just for them to experience the good side of policing, that’s what I’m looking forward to the most,” said Deputy Jennifer Gilbert, who will be part of the event.