‘Shop with a Cop’ event brightens holidays for hundreds of kids in St. Francois County

Laura Simon
·2 min read

ST. FRANCOIS COUNTY, Mo. – In Farmington, Missouri, the holiday season is getting a dose of warmth and generosity, thanks to the annual Shop with a Cop event.

This heartwarming tradition has been touching lives for basically three decades, making it not only the biggest in the region but quite possibly the largest in the nation.

Second-grader Ruger Sellers was on a mission at the Walmart on Walton Drive.

“I want this,” he said holding a PlayStation gift card.

Retired St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Randy Tate was Ruger’s shopping adventure partner.

Ruger also threw a toy car and a fishing pole in their cart. Each child participating had $100 to spend.

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“If he goes over, I don’t mind paying,” Tate said. “I’m not gonna tell him no. Put it that way.”

While many kids shop for toys, games, and clothes, some like to buy gifts for their families.

The Shop with a Cop program receives support from various corners of the region, including St. Louis. The IBEW/NECA Electrical Connection donated $5,000 this year.

“It’s grown through the years, til at this point, 30 years later, the Electrical Connection and Total Electric have given the Sheriff’s Department $94,000 total,” Danny Miller, owner of Total Electric, said.

The event in St. Francois County all essentially started with a generous donation of $500 Miller made back in 1992.

“My wife and I have always been supportive of the police department, especially the sheriff’s department, he said. “They’ve done so much for the children and the community.”

More than a dozen buses dropped off between 500 and 600 kids Tuesday morning. Organizers began contacting schools early in the year to find the children most in need of this program.

Approximately 200 police officers and first responders from across the state participated, making it an unforgettable experience for the kids.

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