‘Really shocked’; Secret Santa visits 2 North Philly elementary schools

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Smiles filled the room as Temple University police officers entered the Paul L. Dunbar School auditorium in North Philadelphia. They came bearing gifts — brand-new bicycles for eight of the K-through-8th-grade students, who earned them with high grades, excellent attendance, and demonstrated leadership in the classroom.

One surprised recipient, first grader Allah Dalili, just four months ago received a lifesaving kidney transplant at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia after two years on dialysis. Overjoyed, the youngster said the experience was almost unbelievable.

“I never thought I would get a bike,” he told WHYY.

His father, Abdo Dalili, looked on happily. He said while the gift of a bicycle was touching, his son had already received the greatest gift of all this year.

“He’s so excited.” Dalili said. “And although he’s sick, you know, he’s fighting! He’s trying to do something. He’s trying so hard.”

Dalilis said the officers’ generosity illustrates the importance of positive interactions with police officers and how they can change perceptions and bring communities and the police into better relationships.

“It’s going to put like a good example in their mind.” Dalili said. “That police is not just about harassing people or fighting people,but they have a good side of them, a good heart to make people so happy and so excited.”

Another recipient, 11-year-old Pierre Williams, found himself nearly speechless. The new bike — his first ever — opened up possibilities, he said, to race against his friends in the neighborhood.

“I was really happy, extremely happy to be exact.” Williams said. “I was like really shocked. I just feel like I’m the best kid in the world.”

In total, Temple University’s police department and a donor known only as “Secret Santa” gave away 24 new bicycles to kids at Dunbar and Dr. Tanner G. Duckrey elementary schools, and the Norris Homes apartments in North Philadelphia. The initiative is part of the university’s broader community-policing program, aimed at building trust and lasting connections with local residents.

“To be able to reward and acknowledge these young people for what they’re doing in the classroom and in the community really speaks to the mission that we have,” said Jennifer Griffin, Temple’s Chief of Police and Vice President of Public Safety.

She emphasized that such events, especially around the holidays, can leave a lasting impression on young people and reinforce a positive impression of law enforcement.

“The majority of our job is really protecting and serving in a lot of different ways, and we want young people to recognize us as somebody that’s here to help them,” Griffin said. “And sometimes we have a hard job and we come in contact with them during challenging times, but we really do care for them.”

The timing of the bike giveaway came days before the Temple University Police Department’s annual Children’s Holiday party, which underscores the force’s commitment to being a consistent, positive presence in the neighborhoods they serve.