Mark Your Calendar for these remaining Important dates for this years efforts: December 24: Christmas Basket Distribution - State Prison  Hard Work Means 2011 Road Block Success Despite Weak Economy!  Despite the weak economy, Motorcycle Clubs gathered from around the Midstate to work the streets in Nashville for the benefit of Metro Police Charities. The weather was perfect and the work was diligent, resulting in a successful fund-raising effort for this year's Christmas Basket Program, raising over $20,000 in a four-hour times span! Join us Christmas Eve morning at the Old Prison to help "build" the baskets and ready them for distribution to needy Nashvillians. Registration: Harding Rd:   Hermitage: Madison: Rivergate:   Thompson Lane: This year's Leading Fund-raisers!!!       MCC Charities Metro Police Charities Drive Delivers Again      It  was a successful Fall  for Metro Police Charities Drive!! The Toy Parade & Road Blocks were an outstanding success as Middle Tennesseans responded to the call for help despite -- or perhaps because of -- the challenging economy. Thank you to MCC members, Rivergate HOG members, Blue Knights Motorcyle Club and the Revolution Motorcycle Club for coming out in record numbers. Click on the buttons left to see all the photos! FOP Youth Camp shows appreciation for H.O.G. and Dealership Support   (L-r.):"MCC Charity Officer Scott "Knob" Fowlkes and Bubba Boswell of Boswell's Harley-Davidson receive a recognition award on behalf of the Chapter and Dealership, from Allan Herald, Director of the Andrew Jackson FOP Youth Camp."    M usic City HOG Chapter is committed to charitable giving in the community we live and ride. Since the inception of our HOG Chapter we have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in our community in order to benefit people in need.  Our giving campaigns are lead by our Charities Director with the support and guidance of our Charities Committee and hundreds of chapter volunteers.      We have decided to focus our charitable efforts exclusively through a partnership with the Metro Police Department with an emphasis on underprivileged families and children.  The following are the charities we are presently active:   MPD Christmas Basket Program The Christmas Basket Program began in 1961. When Christmas arrived that year, Sgt. Joe Casey recommended to his fellow officers on patrol that they collect money that might normally be spent on exchanging Christmas cards. That money would be used to purchase food for a needy family in the city. Although the average officer made only about $262 per month, enough was collected for two families to receive one basket of food each. In 1963, Joy Pike and Carolyn Edwards, both civilian employees of the MPD, using their own money and donations from others, began collecting toys to be delivered with the baskets. Three families received baskets and toys that year. Peggy Williams later joined the ?toy team? to add to its tradition. As each year went by, the program grew as the need for assistance in the community became more apparent. Families are selected based on recommendations from Police officers as they serve the community throughout the year. Careful selection is done to identify the neediest families which include many children. Thrifty buying allows for large quantities of basic foods to be purchased in order to provide 4 bushel baskets of groceries per family     These baskets and the toys are assembled in a warehouse weeks prior to Christmas. Police personnel as well as HOG members help get all the baskets ready for delivery. Then on Christmas Eve each year all baskets and toys are delivered by 9am.     From the generosity and kindness of many the program has grown to the point where it serves over 250 families each Christmas Eve. Over the years Music City HOG Chapter has become the primary funding source of this annual charity.   F.O.P. Youth Camp Andrew Jackson Lodge 5 of the Fraternal Order of Police has a long history of working with underprivileged children in the community.  The F.O.P. operates a summer camp program for underprivileged children at its facility in Wilson County, on Old Hickory Lake. The 35 acre property has been developed into a site that has a pool, bunk house, mess hall, ball field and lake access. The week long curriculum of activities is geared to develop team building and break down cultural barriers. The counselors are all police officers working in the community and work to break the stereotype these children normally have of police officers. The camp has 300 campers per summer consisting of 150 boys and 150 girls that alternate weeks in groups of 50 campers over a six week period.       Annual ride to the camp    Shop With  A Cop The F.O.P. also conducts a Christmas program for the children identified during the summer camps. Police officers take children to a local department store where they are allowed to purchase a gift for every member in their family and two for themselves. These gifts are wrapped and delivered to the child?s home to ensure that the family will have gifts to open on Christmas morning.   Other Charity events Annual Christmas Basket parade Annual ride to Old State Prison Annual used t-shirt sale Annual ride to FOP camp For more information about FOP Service Projects check here.