GREAT FALLS — The annual "Shop With A Cop" event took place on Monday evening at Target in Great Falls. Officers with the Great Falls Police Department teamed up with children and their families to give the kids a special holiday event they won’t soon forget.
“There’s some kids and families that can’t afford to do things or go out and buy gifts so we think it’s really important that everybody has a great Christmas,” said GFPD Senior Patrol Officer Shawn Kelley. “It’s a family-oriented thing, especially for us, being a blue family, and then we want to support all the other families that couldn’t normally do something like this.”
Kids were given an allowance of money to spend, and one or two officers each to chaperone them and their families around the store while they picked out their toys, clothes, and other items for the holiday season.
Some of the kids are underprivileged, and may have experienced some type of childhood trauma in their young lives. They were nominated by schools and agencies around the city to participate in this yearly event.
Officer Kelley referred to the rest of the officers at the event as his “blue family,” and said they want to show people that they’re not all that different from them. “We just like to portray ourselves as kind of goofy, fun-loving,” said Kelley with a smile.
The event is organized by the Great Falls Police Protective Association, who collects donations for less fortunate and underprivileged child in Great Falls. Click here to learn more or to donate to the program.
