NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e p S
December 3, 2025 candgnews.com Oakland County papers
Groups work to ensure there is ‘No Child Without a Christmas’ BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN
T
tchristensen@candgnews.com
he holiday season is upon us, and families all over are preparing for the next few months of fun, food and gifts. But some families are wondering how they are going to pull it off for their children. To help, local charities and nonprofit organizations come together each year to supply families in need with gifts and food for the holiday season. For the 31st year, the Troy Police Department is hosting “Operation Blue Sleigh,” a program aimed at helping families in need in the Troy area have the best holiday ever. Officer Greg Pokley, with the Troy Police Department, said that the team is helping 41 families this year. Pokley said that 95% of the families selected are identified through the school system and can include kids who are on the free lunch program, or those that teachers know need help the most. The other 15% are chosen by road patrol officers who notice families in need. “Operation Blue Sleigh encompasses our gift card drive, Shop with a Cop, and then adopt a family,” Pokley said. “This year I have 41 families and that number keeps going up every year.” During the Shop with a Cop portion of the program, officers take the kids through Walmart and buy the kids a gift with a $100 gift card provided by Walmart. “We have 41 families and 41 sponsors, generous, generous sponsors, throughout See CHRISTMAS on page 7A
Frances Mauro Masters, a Rosie the Riveter at the Ford Willow Run Bomber Plant, right, attends the Michigan World War II Legacy Memorial Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11 in Royal Oak. Mauro Masters and her fellow Rosie, Delphine Kaput, unveil the Rosie the Riveter statue, which is based on Mauro Masters.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
ABOVE: Operation Blue Sleigh organizers pose together for a photo with Santa. LEFT: Gifts are piled up at the Troy Police Department for Operation Blue Sleigh. Photos providedby Greg Pokley
Rosie the Riveter statue unveiled on Veterans Day BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com
ROYAL OAK — The World War II Legacy Veterans Memorial hosted a special Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 11 that included the unveiling of the Rosie the Riveter statue. “We come together to honor the courage, service and sacrifice by veterans both past and present,” said John Maten, president of the Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. “We also recognize the family and friends who stood behind them and offered strength and love while their loved ones served. Their sacrifices too are woven into the story of our freedom. It never feels like enough to simply say thank you.” The program on Veterans Day included the posting of the colors, an invocation by the Rev. Richard Dalton, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” See STATUE on page 8A