The law enforcement community of St. Mary’s County kicked off the community’s 15th annual Shop With A Cop program on December 15, 2018.
Personnel from agencies including (but not limited to) the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland Natural Resources Police, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Defense Police (Patuxent River NAS), along with St. Mary’s College Public Safety and local military personnel took part in the experience.
For many of those involved, Shop With A Cop marks the true beginning of the holiday season.
This year, 100 children from various communities in St. Mary’s County were picked up from their respective residences and taken to the Wildewood Shopping Center to check in and have a light breakfast with hot chocolate, before continuing on to Walmart.
Each child is allotted money to spend however they choose, whether it be for themselves, family members or household items. Each child is transported to Wal-Mart and then to the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds where they are awaited by Optimist members who are ready to serve a huge breakfast, wrap their gifts. At the end of the event, the excited children are returned home.
The “Shop with a Cop” program is a non-profit 501(c) (3) charitable organization consisting of members of the St. Mary’s County Optimist Clubs and the St. Mary’s County Fraternal Order of Police. The children are selected based on nominations from police officers and St. Mary’s County public and private schools staff.
The “Shop with a Cop” program is an all-volunteer program with no paid employees. Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible.
