Local Police Department Helps Make Holiday Season Unforgettable For Family in Need

It may not have been the sound of reindeer landing on the roof that caused it, but from the smiles on the faces of Maria Johnson and her family, Christmas morning came a day early at a time when it was most needed. 

Bringing a bounty of presents and other items to her house was representatives of the , members of the community and a former professional football player. Johnson, who suffered a while working as a home health aide, was overcome with emotion as these people who were once strangers instantly became a part of her family.

Leading the caravan that travelled from police headquarters to Johnson's house was Sgt. Joseph Markulic. Like Johnson, Markulic is recovering from ankle surgery, something the officer joked about when presenting the multitude of gifts.

Bringing everything from a furnace for the house to a television, Markulic's efforts were very much appreciated by Johnson and her entire family. "I say all the time if you have one person in your life that you can depend on and that is always there for you you should consider yourself a very lucky person," she said. "I have so many people who love me and watch out for me. I'm the richest person in the world."

One of those people right at the top of that list is her 13-year-old son Billy. "He's my hero. My 13-year-old son, my hero." Having never met Markulic prior to her injury, Johnson said he has become an important person in her life as well. "He's my guardian angel."

In the past, it would have been Johnson reaching out to help other people, making being on the receiving end an usual position to be in. "This is the first Christmas with me not buying even one gift because of no money, yet this is the best Christmas anybody could ever have because it's the true meaning of Christmas."

Having seen his mother struggle since being injured, Billy said he was glad to see such a genuine smile on her face for at least this day. "She was always a giver. We always helped out people and this year we're getting the help," he said. 

A lifelong Giants fan, Billy got an extra special surprise when former Big Blue player Keith Elias came to talk to him, sign some autographs and lend support where he could. Having grown up in Lacey and attended Princeton University before a successful pro career, Elias' presence was clearly appreciated by Billy and his mother as they talked about football and life in general. 

Since retiring from football Elias has become a motivational and inspirational speaker who said he was glad to be a part of Saturday's activities. And while he was there to lift Billy's spirits, Elias said it also had a reciprocal feeling for him. "It's encouraging to be here to see a young man like Billy trying to fill those big shoes of being the man of the house in eighth grade," he said. "That encourages me to be the man I need to be at 39."

Having taken on the toughest competition at each level of his sport, Elias said he is thankful for what that time gave him when his playing career was over. "The greatest gift of playing in the NFL is the platform it gives you to be able to do good things," he said.

Now that he is no longer running head first into opposing defensive lines, Elias said that is what he tries to do on a regular basis. "I think for all of us to truly live life, you want to live a life of impact and that means you want to impact others and help them along the way."

Johnson's brother Bill Dambola said Saturday was a special and memorable day for everyone in his family. "It's tremendous seeing my sister in this kind of spirit because she has been down for so long," he said. "Seeing her sad and upset at all times and then seeing something like this happen brings our entire family up. It brings us together more. Seeing her spirits lifted is just tremendous."

And seeing all the work that went into making this happen, Dambola thanked Markulic and the other volunteers for their help. "You don't find too many people like him out there and for him to do something like this for other families is just unbelievable."

For Markulic, although he was one of the people most responsible for putting the event together, he was quick to deflect the attention away from himself and onto others who contributed and the family that benefitted from everybody's efforts. "Every year it seems to be getting better, which is great and the word has been getting more and more out," he said. "It's not only me, it's the businesses, the friends, the family that all come up big. Without them we would have nothing."

He called the day, "a positive thing," having now helped Howell families for three years. "It's the least I could do. It's something that I want to do. All my life I've had people to push me, drive me, whatever the case may be," he said. "If I can use my uniform that way then so be it. That's what I enjoy to do."

The other families Markulic's efforts have helped were also there on Saturday, making it that much more of a special occasion. "It may be only one day, but now it's going to be hopefully a lifelong memory," he said. "Now they're part of the family of the Howell police, along with Amara and Wendy and if we keep growing we can help more and more people and that's what it's all about."