Scores of St. Lucie and Indian River County children will be waking up on Christmas morning with big smiles and something very special to believe in. That’s because School Resource Officers and deputies from both counties’ Sheriff’s Offices will be accompanying the children on the shopping trip of a lifetime as part of the Shop With a Cop program.
To help ensure that more children can be reached through this very special and interactive program, the December Dyer Difference Award in both Indian River and St. Lucie County was awarded to the Sheriff’s offices in both of the neighboring counties.
Deputies are paired with children from the community whose families are struggling and who might not be able to provide them with a gift to open on Christmas morning. Each child is provided with a $100 Wal-Mart gift card, and armed with the card and a Sheriff’s Deputy at his or her side, the shopping trip commences.
One of the things the deputies mention every year is that, instead of rushing to grab their favorite toys or video games, nearly every child first looks for a gift for a sibling or parent. Because of this, many of the area’s crustiest deputies walk away from the experience with misty eyes and a renewed sense of motivation to protect the community and help positively impact and guide its youngest members.
The memorable and special experience shared by the children and the deputies is something neither soon forgets, and it has helped forge stronger bonds of trust between the youth and law enforcement in both communities. Recognizing the importance of this kind of interaction, the Dyer Difference Award Committee selected the Shop With a Cop program in both Indian River and St. Lucie Counties as the December Dyer Difference Award Recipients.
Since relocating to the area in 2008, each month, Dyer Chevrolet staff members at Dyer Chevrolet Fort Pierce and Dyer Chevrolet Mazda Subaru in Vero Beach meet to review the applications which have been submitted in their respective counties and select one non-profit organization to receive that month’s recognition and a $3,000 award in each county.
For the Dyer family and the members of the Dyer staff, the award and the $6,000 in donations between the two counties are all about helping to make a positive difference in the community. For the recipients, it’s an acknowledgement of their tireless efforts to do the same and a much-needed financial boost to help further their missions. If you’d like to nominate a non-profit organization for the Dyer Difference Award, please visit www.dyerdifference.org or find Dyer Difference on Facebook.