INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — With sirens blaring and lights flashing, law enforcement vehicles escorted school buses filled with wide-eyed youngsters to the Sebastian Walmart for an awe-inspiring shopping spree.
This year’s Shop with a Cop was the largest to date, with 165 children each given a $100 gift certificate and a side-kick – kind-hearted officers and deputies from the Sebastian and Fellsmere Police Departments, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Aged from 6 to 17, the children were bused in two shifts – south county children from the IRCSO and north county from SPD.
Applications for the program were available at all local schools, with school resource officers, teachers and administrators helping to identify children in need.
With a flurry of excitement as they stepped off the buses, children indulged first in hamburgers and hot-dogs deftly cooked on the spot by Mark Rogers, Walmart store manager, before heading for the aisles to shop with their cop.
And of course no visit is complete without a visit to Santa; this one gave each child a video or DVD of their choosing.
The event was coordinated by Rogers, Sebastian Officer Ashley Penn and Sheriff’s Deputy Roberta Barker.
Funding was provided by Walmart grants, private donations and various fundraisers held throughout the year, including a Christmas in July event, a softball tournament, and an event hosted by Walgreens.
“To really get the feel of what happens you have to be here to watch it; it’s an amazing thing,” said Rogers.
“When you look into their baskets, a lot of times you see they’ve gotten things not for themselves but for their mom and dad or their siblings. They’re not greedy at all. They’re just so happy to be able to get something. The bottom line is that the kids now see the police in a positive light and in this day and age we need that more than ever.”
“Especially right now, there’s a negative feeling about law enforcement,” said Penn.
“This shows that we do want to take care of them and that we are approachable. You just have so much emotion that’s attached to it, especially with the ones where this is the only thing that they’ll get.”
It was a little overwhelming for some of the younger ones, but while hesitant and shy at first, they eventually warming up to their cop buddies, and began to fill up their garland-adorned shopping carts.
“They’re from a real nice family and I’m glad I can help them,” said Fellsmere Police Officer Larry Lawson, helping Angel, 13 and Jasmine, 12, who were busy choosing items for their family members first.
“The kids are so happy and the police are just so happy to do it, adds Rogers.
“It’s funny; you’ll see one of the kids go over by $10 and you’ll see the cop pulling out the ten to cover it. And that’s really what it’s all about. It’s positive for all of them. They make friends that can last forever.”
“You’re so stressed out leading up to it, and then you see the smiles on their faces and it just makes your day,” said Barker, noting that they try to choose different children each year.
“The community is what made this happen. I thank the community whole-heartedly.”
