Source Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
Albuquerque Police Department Sgt. Tracy Drager has seen firsthand how much New Mexicans care for their communities and their neighbors. It was that same love of community that drove her to become an officer.
That's why, when she saw the devastation caused by the wildfires in the Ruidoso area over the past week, it caused her pain.
"I saw the fire coverage on the news, and it broke my heart," she said. "I wished there was something I could do."
That moment, Drager said she realized there was something she and the department could do: start collecting donations for those in need. She put in a call to Lt. Jennifer Garcia and asked how they could launch the assistance drive.
"What an amazing idea," Garcia said. "So we immediately went into action and started making contacts and got approval within minutes to move forward."
By Wednesday, the Albuquerque Police Department had publicly announced it would be gathering energy drinks, hygiene products, water and bedding at all of its substations across the city.
The donations would be collected through Friday, then driven down to Roswell for the wildfire victims on Sunday.
Garcia said the residents' response to the call was sudden and almost overwhelming.
"I believe by Thursday at noon, our (substations) were already full," she said. "It showed how quickly everyone stepped up."
On Friday, all of the donations were brought to the university substation. Drager, Garcia and several public safety aides and APD academy pre-hires spent the afternoon loading them onto a trailer for delivery. Carrying case after case of water, energy drinks and boxes packed to the brim with hygiene products, some of the academy pre-hires joked that this would double as their workout for the day.
As she reflected on how quickly the idea came together and how much the community contributed, Drager choked up when describing how much this meant to her.
"It almost makes me cry thinking about the devastation and how wonderful it is to do this," she said. "It's heartwarming that we're getting to take stuff down there to make a difference."
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