TOMMY MOOSE, the Moose Fraternity is Helping
Police, Firefighters and Paramedics In Their Work --
More Than 75,000 Times Over So Far!
Since 2002, more than 75,000 TOMMY MOOSE plush dolls
have been presented, free of charge, by Lodges and Chapters
of the Loyal Order of Moose and Women of the Moose to police
departments, fire departments, and paramedic/ambulance units
all over North America.
The concept is simple:
With several TOMMY dolls always on hand in an emergency vehicle,
public-safety personnel have a soft, comforting companion
handy to give to a child who is suddenly facing an otherwise
overwhelming trauma--be it an automobile accident, a house
fire, a weather disaster, or other calamity.
Moose
International headquarters has received scores of thank-you
notes from fire chiefs and police chiefs for making TOMMY
MOOSE available -- but perhaps none so compelling as the
following excerpted correspondence, written May 17, 2009
by Chief Chris Paitsel of the Piedmont City, WV Police Department:
Dear Members:
Last year, I was the investigating
officer on several sexual abuse cases. these involved
children from the ages of 7 to 13 in the small community
I serve. The children had to be interviewed to determine
the extent of what had happened to them. Needless to
say these children were very scared and apprehensive
about being interviewed.
When the first
interview started it became difficult for the child
to talk. I then remembered that Keyser (WV) Moose Lodge
No. 662 had supplied us with Tommy Moose to give out
to children. I quickly obtained a Tommy Moose and gave
it to the child. The child's expression on seeing Tommy
was one of joy. The child became more relaxed and was
able to tell what had happened.
When I interviewed
the other children, they too were given a Tommy Moose.
The difference in each child's fear of the interview
before and after Tommy Moose was amazing. The children
were able to open up and be interviewed about the crimes
that were committed on them.
In the end
the person responsible for the crimes pleaded guilty,
and received a 25-year sentence. I feel that because
of Tommy Moose, I was able to obtain enough evidence
that the accused had only one choice--to plead guilty.
Tommy
Moose is now standard equipment with me.
Sincerely
grateful,
Chief Chris Paitsel
Piedmont
City (WV) Police Department |
Police officers, firefighters, or ambulance personnel
who haven't yet been provided with a supply of TOMMY MOOSE
should contact their local Moose Center (Click
Here to Locate a Lodge near You) for
local contact information), or contact Director of Fraternal
Programs Shawn Baile at 630-966-2224.
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