On Scene: Shop with a Cop Recap

Last Saturday morning, 100 children from our local city gathered for breakfast at an elementary school, got handed their official Shop with a Cop t-shirt, met with a handful of police officers who volunteered their time, and then loaded up to head to the local Walmart.

Of course, they rode in style, as they had a parade, wailing with sirens and all on the 10 minute drive. All eyes were on them as they pulled into the shopping center that morning!

Within a few minutes, after a group picture, all the children and volunteers were in a private back room at the Walmart, eating snacks, coloring, and waiting for their number and name to be called for their turn to shop!

Pretty soon, the children with their partner (a local police officer) were off, with calculators in hand, $100 bucks, and the chance to Christmas shop for their friends and family. A few elves, and Santa, of course, even joined in on the shopping fun!

Overall, the event went off without a hitch! 100 children were given the opportunity to shop with a police officer, on a friendly basis, cultivating a good relationship between the police and the community. The kids were able to purchase gifts for their family, be part of a fun parade & breakfast, and be part of something they'll likely not ever forget.

With the help of donations from our employees for Jeans Friday's here at TheFireStore and OfficerStore, and the amount being matched, more children were able to participate this year.

We consider this event a success and a fun way to give back to our community!