Players and coaches of the Pflugerville Panthers Girls Basketball program spent their time Monday evening (Dec. 14) volunteering for Pflugerville's Blue Santa program where they helped sort donated toys and gifts and wrap presents. The Police Department-sponsored Blue Santa program aims at providing toys and Christmas dinners for the less fortunate families and children in the local area. This PHS girls basketball tradition with Blue Santa began six years ago, and each year the players and coaches look forward to giving back to their community. Thanks to Cathy Booker, mother of current sophomore guard Jasmyn Booker, who got the girls basketball teams involved in Blue Santa six years ago when her older daughter Kayla Sanders was a freshman on the PHS squad. Special thanks also go out to Pflugerville police officers Sgt. Jason Smith and Blue Santa Coordinator Cpl. Mike Clowdus, for their organization, guidance and support. (In the photo above, Cpl. Clowdus is on the left, Sgt. Smith on the right.)

"Each year, members of the Pflugerville community unselfishly give toys, non-perishable food items and money and volunteer their time to the Blue Santa Program," commented Panther girls athletics coordinator and head basketball coach Nancy Walling. "It is essential that the players, managers and coaches in our program be part of this effort. Each year, the girls are excited to go to Blue Santa and collect, sort and wrap gifts. We want to give back to a community which supports us at such a high level. We are extremely fortunate for the support and resources that our basketball program receives. Volunteering our time and energies are just a small way of giving back and saying 'thank you' and showing our gratitude."

Last year, more than 180 familes with more than 500 children celebrated a better holiday thanks to the Pflugerville Blue Santa program and its volunteers.   

Blue Santa delivery day for 2009 will be on December 19th (starting at 10 a.m.). Volunteers from the Pflugerville Police and Fire Departments and the local community form a band of merry elves and deliver gifts and food to the families.

For more Information on how to become a Blue Santa volunteer call 512/670-5512 or go the Pflugerville Blue Santa website page.