Gurnee police deliver 3,000 donated valentines to village seniors

Aided by an outpouring of community support, the Gurnee Police Department has delivered more than 3,000 Valentine's Day cards to nearly 600 residents in senior living facilities.

The police department put out the call to the community on social media for people to send in valentines - store-bought or homemade - or drop them off in a box outside police headquarters.

"We need your help to spread a little love this upcoming holiday," the message on the police department's Facebook page read.

Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor said Friday that the response was overwhelming. Those who contributed included local child care centers, schools, residents, Girl Scout troops, businesses, and social media followers as far away as Colorado.

"The immense response from our community shows the compassion that lives within Gurnee," Police Chief Brian Smith said Friday. "It brought our community together in a socially distant climate."

The valentine for seniors program was the first of its kind for the Gurnee Police Department. Gaylor said many senior facilities in Gurnee and around the country have been on lockdown in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that has limited interactions for senior residents.

Gurnee police officials and village board member Tom Hood delivered the community's valentines Thursday. Though it wasn't safe for the gifts to be handed directly to the seniors, Gaylor said staff members at the senior facilities will distribute them in time for Sunday.