Ten law enforcement officers from the Battle Ground Police Department accompanied 19 local children on a shopping spree on Saturday, Dec. 3 during the department’s annual Shop with a Cop event at Walmart.
The kids were able to buy gifts for their loved ones and items for themselves.
“Our department looks forward to Shop with a Cop every year,” stated Battle Ground Police Lt. Kim Armstrong in a news release.
Armstrong has participated in all eight of the police department’s Shop with a Cop events throughout the years.
“This event gets better every year thanks to the support and generosity of our community,” Armstrong stated in the release. “To see the kids enjoying themselves and knowing we got to be a part of that joy will be something I will always treasure.”
The annual Shop with a Cop program is made possible through the ongoing support of the Walmart Foundation, stated the release, which this year provided a $2,000 grant to fund the program. The Walmart in Battle Ground also supplied refreshments, favor bags, a gift wrapping station, and several volunteers, some of whom sported festive costumes.
Members of Battle Ground Senior Citizens, Inc. also donated and volunteered during this year’s event.
“This group is always looking for ways to give back to their community,” stated Lori Lindberg, the board advisor with Battle Ground Senior Citizen, Inc., in the release. “When one of our members suggested we ask about getting involved with Shop with a Cop, we were all in. It was incredible to see the officers and kids interacting with one another, building friendships. It was so heartwarming.”
The children who participated were nominated by staff from Battle Ground Public Schools and by members of the Battle Ground Police Department, stated the release.
