The Rock Falls Police Department was dispatched Monday morning to complete Operation Santa Claus.

The program, run mostly on donations, began in 2018 to help local families during the holidays. On Monday, the department headed out with special guest, Santa Claus himself, aka Jon Colberg, to deliver Christmas gifts, groceries and household items. In total, they brought holiday cheer to nine families.

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Kinsley, 7, and Payton, 9, greet Santa Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, after accepting a delivery from him and the Rock Falls Police Department. (Alex T. Paschal)

“What you guys are doing today is sweet and kind because it reaches out to people,” a guardian for one family told officers.

Rock Falls Police Clerk Joy Colberg told Shaw Local donations for the program were down this year.

Typically, grocery items are donated by a local food bank, but they were unable to because the “[food] pantries were so overwhelmed this year” so department members did the grocery shopping themselves, Colberg said.