What happens at Matty's Toy Stop in Hewlett will amaze you

As you came across the Peninsula Shopping Center in Hewlett on Dec. 9 people might have thought that either there was a law enforcement convention or a severe incident had just happened.

There were uniform officers from Nassau County, NYPD, state troopers, the FBI, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Port Authority, Explorer groups, Hewlett Fire Department junior firefighters and several police vehicles.

All outside and inside Matty’s Toy Stop as part of the fourth annual Michael Geraldi-Ray Abear Holiday Shop with a Cop coordinated by Project Thank A Cop, a nonprofit organization run by Wantagh residents Andy and Maegan Fox.

“It’s great because it gives us the opportunity to help kids in need and also bring them closer to law enforcement,” said Andy, a Merrick native. Wife Maegan is originally from Baldwin. Son Robert is also involved, especially with the group’s videos.

“The guys that are on the job get to take time out of their routine and do something fun for a change and get closer to the community,” he added.

Geraldi, an Inwood native, was a NYPD officer who died in September of 2020 of a brain aneurysm while working. Matty’s Toy Stop occupies the same space as Movieland Video, where Geraldi had worked before joining the city police department.

Abear, a detective with the Queens Special Victims Squad, died in April of 2020 from Covid-19, after what officials called “a presumed exposure while on duty.”

Roughly 100 children from across Long Island and the city, who have endured tough times from losing a parent in the line of duty or families in need shopped for $100 worth of toys and/or games accompanied by one of the many volunteers and $50 worth of similar items for children at Cohen’s Children Medical Center in New Hyde Park.

“It means so much because this is for people who have sacrificed everything for us, so it’s really nice to be able to give back to them and their families,” said Hayley Goldstein, a Hewlett junior firefighter and a Hewlett High School junior.

Helping to spread the spirit of generosity were Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, Azamra DJ and Steve Pinto from Lefty’s with hand-rolled cigars.

“With the community, with the friends that we have established and made through the group and the connections with the police officers and also with the community who has small businesses and resident who like to participant they all come together knowing that this event is going to become something very special,” Andy said, adding that several of the volunteers having been doing this since the first event.

For more information on Project Thank A Cop, go to PtaCop.org.