The holiday season can be a tough time for some families as they struggle to purchase gifts for children, but local law enforcement agencies are stepping up to help this Saturday.
Park City Police Captain Phil Kirk says the annual Shop with a Cop starts at 7:00 am on Saturday at the Double Tree hotel, where they’ll provide breakfast for the 60-70 local children who participate in the program.
“We pair them up just as they’re coming in to the double tree hotel. Pair them up with an officer and they get to know the officer and some of our officers speak Spanish and many of the kids do. They sit there at a nice dining table with great breakfast and get a chance to socialize and get to know each other before they head off on their Shop with a Cop.”
After the breakfast the kids and officers will go to shop for Christmas gifts, Kirk says that the program allows children to receive Christmas gifts that wouldn’t otherwise.
“Probably wouldn’t have Christmas with out the efforts of our Fraternal Order of Police, Police Officers donating their time and their money and big contributors like Berkshire that make this happen. As you know we’ve done this for a number of years and we team up a police officer with one of the kids and they get to go lights and siren all the way to our good friends at Walmart and do some shopping there. I should mention that there’s Santa at both locations, so they get to take photographs with Santa. Then they do some shopping, I think they get about $150 gift certificate. Most the kids buy things for their siblings and their parents and have a great time there. Then the Berkshire folks help wrap all the presents, along with the police officer friends and family too.”
Kirk says that the Park City Police department isn’t the only law enforcement agency involved.
“We bring officers in from all over the Wasatch Back including highway patrol, obviously the sheriff’s office, FBI, all kids of officers that love to participate in this event. So that’s how we’re able to come up with enough officers to really handle the 60-70 kids. Some of them are doubled up, so they’ll be two kids with one officer.”
Those that wish to make donations or help volunteer should contact Jeremy Eaton, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police, you can get in touch with him by calling 615-5500.
Kirk says that although the event is early in the month, it’s a great way to help law enforcement and the kids feel the spirit of the season.
“Never too soon to start feeling that Christmas spirit, especially an activity like this because these kids really need the help. I don’t know who benefits more the kids or the police officers getting a different role that they get to take on in helping these kids versus being out there enforcing the law. Which is the most important part of our job but being out there with these young kids and feeling the spirit of Christmas that’s pretty cool.”
