Approximately

60 employees of the Peachtree City Police Department received a smoked

turkey for the holidays for a second straight year last week as thanks

for their efforts year round.

George Vuduris

of Vuduris Marketing said the idea sprang up last year after the terrorist

attacks of Sept. 11 when he was looking for a way to thank local police

officers.

Vuduris cleaned

and cooked the birds, which were donated by the city's Kroger stores and

finished on smokers donated by Rod Moore at Fayette Rental. Vuduris's

day began at 5:30 a.m., but the thanks from the police officers as they

accepted their turkeys was very gratifying.

Peachtree City

Police Chief James Murray said this is the only time of year he allows

officers to accept a donation of value. Department regulations forbid

officers from receiving benefits not available to the general public,

except for the occasional slate of baked goods donated by citizens.

"They

can't have half-price meals and they can't take free coffee in stores,"

Murray said, adding that officers are only allowed to use discounts available

to the general public.

Companies and

others who have offered to donate food and other items to the department

in appreciation for their efforts are steered to donate the items to charity

instead.

Murray said

the exception was made for the smoked turkeys because Vuduris and Kroger's

Paul Yellina have been friends of the department for years and it was

"personal" for them.

"We appreciate

the community we live in and being able to sleep at night," Yellina

said.

Over the years,

Yellina's Braelinn Kroger has helped the department with a variety of

projects, including a fundraiser to buy bulletproof vests for officers.

"We got

to church with these officers and we have watched their children grow

up," Yellina said.

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