Officer David LaPlante and his Shop With a Cop shopper strategize on what items to get at the onset of the event on Wednesday, Dec. 7 in the Spruce Pine Walmart. The event served 65 kids. (Cory Spiers/Staff)
The Spruce Pine Walmart buzzed with activity on Wednesday, Dec. 7 during the latest edition of the annual Shop With a Cop event.
Law enforcement officials, volunteers and area kids packed the entrance lobby, waiting for Shop With a Cop to begin. Several people held cameras, capturing every smile and laugh shared between the volunteers and the kids.
Shop With a Cop is an annual event that makes sure all kids get a memorable Christmas. Kids are paired with volunteers or law enforcement officials and take a trip around Walmart, gathering things they need and want.
The first stop is always shoes and clothing. Kids get boots, sneakers, winter jackets, hats, socks, shirts and anything else they might need.
Then comes the fun.
Kids get to spend the remainder of their allowance on toys and games. All they have to do is point to what they want, and into the cart it goes.
Officers from the Spruce Pine Police Department, Bakersville Police Department, Mitchell County Sheriff’s Department, North Carolina Highway Patrol and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation gathered at Walmart to make Christmas 2021 unforgettable for area kids.
“The money we are able to spend provides them with nice items,” said Mitchell County Sheriff Donald Street.
Some shoppers were efficient in selecting their clothing, getting to the toys quickly.
Shop With a Cop 2022 served 65 kids. Additional kids who weren’t at the event will get gift cards after the fact. The program was made possible by more than $12,000 in donations and the help of 69 volunteers.
“It is a blessing to see the smiling faces of these kids when we meet them,” Street said. “I want to thank the community for entrusting us with this money to spend. This may be all some of these kids get.”
Spruce Pine Police Chief Bill Summerlin showed up at the event dressed as Santa, as he usually does. Kids smiled as he approached them and asked them about their Shop With a Cop finds.
“Shop With a Cop is a truly special event,” Summerlin said. “As law enforcement officials, we’re blessed and tickled to be able to be a part of this thing each year. To see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they find the things they want and need— there’s nothing quite like that.”
Shop With a Cop is made possible through community donations, which are accepted throughout the year. To donate, call 765-2233 or 385-1491 or bring donations to the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office or Spruce Pine Police Department.