Photo by Lester Smith
Holding one of the gift bags that Kayleigh Mahannah and Leah Beaudoin had brought to the Police Station, Officer Jeff Reynolds exchanges a high five with Leah. At the right are Amy Reay, who came with the girls, and Officer John Lacic, with another bag. That’s Amy’s service dog, Delancey, sniffing at the box of gift bags.
(Editors’ note: This article was updated on September 8 at 4:00 p.m.)
With police officers hassled and even shot in some states, two young ladies in Suffield decided that it was time to do something nice for the policemen here. So Kayleigh Mahannah and Leah Beaudoin, both 10, bought a bunch of goodies and distributed them into two dozen gift bags, all with some help from their day care provider, Amy Reay. Each bag was labeled “Survival Kit for Law Enforcement Officers,” and a list of the items followed: LIFESAVER: To remind you of the many times you’ve been one; SMARTIES: To give you wisdom for those split-second decisions; HERSHEY KISSES: To show our love for you; GUM: To help everyone stick together; TOOTSIE ROLL: You have to roll with the punches; PEPPERMINT PATTY: Helping you keep your cool: MOUNDS: For the mounds of courage you show; and LAFFY TAFFY: To remind you that laughter is a great stress reliever. The label ended with, “Thank you for everything you do for our community.”
When the girls brought the big box to the Suffield Police Station, the officers who could be there to receive it were Jeff Reynolds and John Lacic. Lieutenant Ryan Burrell showed up in the lobby as well, and after all the thank-yous and photos, Kayleigh and Leah were treated to a tour of the non-public sections of the Police Station, including the six lock-up cells. One suspects that these girls will never experience the inside of such a cell again.