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By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

One of the most time-honored traditions of the holiday season is the giving of Christmas cards, and employees of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office were surprised on Dec. 10 when a basket of cards was brought in to ensure that every employee there was made to feel special.

This act of kindness was brought upon by a citizen who wishes to remain anonymous but put together the basket as an act of kindness for those who make sure the citizens of Shelby County are safe during the holidays.

According to Sgt. Shane Plyler, the arrival of the cards truly touched each of the employees at the office and was a display of the giving nature of the Christmas spirit.

“On Thursday, Dec. 10, a citizen wishing to remain anonymous dropped off a large basket of approximately 230 Christmas cards, one for each employee at the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,” Plyler explained. “We were very appreciative and grateful for the gift, as we always are any time a member of the community goes out of their way to let us know they appreciate us and are thinking of us.”

The anonymous donor went out of their way to make sure that each of the employees there felt truly loved and seen by adding a personal touch to each of the cards.

“This particular gift stands out because of the amount of time and personalization that went into the gift. Each of the 230 cards were unique, both in the card design as well as the content. The citizen took the time to hand write messages into each card, some of them being paragraphs in length,” Plyler said

As Christmas can often cause law enforcement to be away from their families during special holiday traditions, these cards helped ensure the employees that what they were doing was making a difference in touching the hearts and minds of the citizens of Shelby County.

“We hope this citizen knows how much we appreciate them for their act of kindness and for bringing their Christmas spirit to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,” Plyler said.