'Heroes and Helpers' tradition continues this holiday season

MUNCIE, Ind. — Local children in need will again have the opportunity to go shopping with "heroes and helpers" this holiday season.

"Heroes and Helpers" Christmas shopping events, hosted by Muncie Crime Stoppers, is set for two Saturday mornings. The first was held on Dec. 2 at the Muncie Target store, 3601 N. Barr St., with the second planned Dec. 9 at the south Muncie Walmart, 1501 E. 29th St.

In a release, Bruce Qualls, a retired Muncie police sergeant who has a long history with "Heroes and Helpers," said over 50 children were expected at Target and more than 130 youngsters were likely to take part in the Walmart event.

Each child is partnered with a "hero" — first responders including law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel — or a a community volunteer, in the role of a "helper," and are given a $100 gift card to Christmas shop for themselves or members of their families.

Many of the youngsters come from single-parent homes, according to Qualls.

"The applicants are vetted by the Salvation Army to help insure that we are truly helping families in need," the release said. "Most of these families would not have the funds to spend on the children for Christmas. This event helps makes their Christmas just a little merrier."

At last year's event, a Yorktown widow with two children said the holiday events had been important to their family since her husband's death in 2018.

For more than three decades, adult family members of children participating in "the"Heroes and Helpers" events have had similar reactions.

"If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have had anything (in terms of Christmas gifts)," a local grandmother told The Star Press in 2005.

Muncie police officers — through membership in Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 87 — have long supported the effort, along with Delaware County sheriff's deputies and officers from other area departments, and other first responders.

The 2007 effort saw participation by a celebrity — actor Eric Estrada, who for six seasons beginning in 1977 played a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer on the NBC-TV series "CHiPs."

Estrada became a reserve Muncie police officer in 2006 to participate in a short-lived reality series on CBS-TV, "Armed & Famous."

That show was cancelled after only four of six episodes were aired, but Estrada — who formed friendships with city police officers — returned to Muncie in December 2007, when he took part in a shopping event at the Target store.

This year's effort received a $5,000 grant from Walmart at a Nov. 3 grand reopening celebration at the southside store.

For several years, the events were known as "Shop with a Cop."

A name change became necessary, however, after an Ohio firm trademarked that phrase and required payment if it was used in fund-raising activities.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: 'Heroes and Helpers' tradition continues this holiday season