For Immediate Release

Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016

Contact: Captain Richard Flynn, PIO
Office: 781-316-3907
Cell: 781-844-1224
Email: rflynn@town.arlington.ma.us

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Arlington Police Participate in Second Annual Katy M. Murphy Foundation Holiday Toy Drive

ARLINGTON — Chief Frederick Ryan is pleased to announce that the Arlington Police Department participated in the Katy M. Murphy Foundation’s second annual holiday toy drive this week and helped deliver the toys collected to Boston Children’s Hospital.

The Katy M. Murphy Foundation was started in honor of Katy Murphy, who was born with a congenital heart defect and spent much of her young life at Boston Children’s Hospital.

In February 2014, Katy received a heart transplant and sadly passed away just six months later due to complications from transplant rejection. She was only 6 years old. In honor of her birthday in December, the Katy M. Murphy Foundation held its second annual toy drive to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital.

On Monday, Dec. 12, Arlington Police provided a police escort to Katy’s family and friends with a truck full of donated toys to Boston Children’s Hospital. Arlington Police have been collecting unwrapped gifts for children ages infant to 18 in the lobby of the police station since Nov. 21.

Now, the foundation raises money to support programs that keep children happy during hospital stays, provides assistance for the cost of headstones and collects toys to distribute to children in the hospital during the holidays.

“This family has been through an unimaginable tragedy, and their ability to turn around and help other families facing a similar struggle is inspirational,” Chief Ryan said. “We are honored to do our part by using our station as a drop-off location for gifts and escorting the family to distribute the donated toys.”

For more information about the Katy M. Murphy Foundation, visit the website.

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