By Mary O’KEEFE

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Glendale hosted a grand celebration of giving to others thanks to the community, local organizations, individuals and the Glendale Police Dept.

GPD Community Service Officer Amy Tate spearheaded the food-raiser. Well over 3,000 boxes of cereal were donated to the cause then lined up in domino-style on the school’s playground.

Retired GPD officer Joe Allen helped design the series of lines of cereal boxes.

“I wanted it to end in a heart,” he said of the design.

At about 9 a.m. on June 1, with all of the elementary school students and many parents, volunteers and GPD officers in attendance, the first boxes were tipped. Away they went, weaving back and forth to the cheers from the kids. And it all ended, two domino lines, at the same time at the base of the heart.

The boxes were then gathered and shared with community food banks including Tujunga’s Bailey Center, Glendale Salvation Army, the Fire House youth center, Cops for Kids, Glendale Community College Food Pantry, YWCA, Door of Hope, Armenian Relief Society Social Services and Jefferson and Horace Mann elementary schools.