Butler Moose Lodge 64 donated 12 stuffed “Tommy Moose” dolls to the city police department. From left, Michael Edinger, Tim Edinger, Ron Brown, Brian Grooms and Gunner, Tom Donaldson, Chad Rensel and Anthony Fatta display the dolls March 6 at the police station.

Butler Moose Lodge 64 has restarted an old tradition of donating stuffed moose toys for children to the city police department.

The “Tommy Moose” plush dolls are intended to help children overcome fear and anxiety during times of stress and traumatic situations.

“It’s a very nice thing for the kids,” said Chief Ron Brown. “It can really comfort them.”

Tim Edinger, an administrator with the Moose Lodge, said the donation was once an annual tradition, but stopped a few years ago.

“We’re not really sure why it stopped,” he said. “But its something we all wanted to start again.”

The Moose Lodge recently donated a dozen of the stuffed toys to the department.

Edinger said he hopes to order more for the city fire department.

Moose lodges across the United States and Canada have bought more than 100,000 of the dolls from Moose International over the years.

Mayor Tom Donaldson is supportive of the project.

“Anytime a civic organization can interact with the police department, that’s a good thing,” he said. “And anything that can make a kid’s day a little brighter is a win.”