Shop with a Cop event in Somerset County: 'The turnout was awesome'
SOMERSET — The whole spirit of Christmas in a nutshell wrapped in colorful paper, loaded shopping carts, happy children and smiling law enforcement existed for a few hours Wednesday morning in the Walmart Supercenter, along North Center Avenue.
It was the second annual Somerset County Shop with a Cop event that drew 180 young participants and what seemed like a matching number of law enforcement and service personnel, not to mention dozens of volunteers. Law enforcement selected the participants.
A section of the parking lot was cordoned off with yellow police tape. Inside the taped area were all types of law enforcement vehicles, some with lights flashing, mixed in with cars, vans and trucks belonging to participants and volunteers. A couple of the vehicles came from schools, such as Conemaugh Township and Salisbury Elk Lick, where the parents dropped off the youngsters at the school buildings. They were gathered up by the resource officers and driven as a group to the event.
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Uniformed personnel and coordinators braved the cold and gathered there surrounded by soon-to-be-filled shopping carts. The doors to Walmart continuously opened to let in the children and their escorts, tiny hands held in the bigger ones.
The Community Foundation for the Alleghenies joined law enforcement departments to give children the opportunity to go shopping with a police officer from Somerset County. These are children who were the victims of crime, witnessed or experienced trauma or have dealt with other unfortunate circumstances.
The idea
The idea is to allow the police and the children to create friendships. It is a way for the children to know they can trust and depend on the officers, said Lladel Lichty, Somerset director, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies.
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Each child had $150 to spend while shopping. The money was raised through fundraisers, donations and sponsorships. If the child needed winter outerwear, money for those items was provided separately.
Near the exit, there was a wrapping station that remained busy throughout the morning.
"Many of the kids want gifts wrapped so they have gifts to give," said one of the team members who put the event together, Somerset Police Sgt. Steve Borosky.
Several high school volunteers, mainly from the Somerset schools' Interact Club, wrapped the presents that children brought to them.
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"We heard about it, so we volunteered to help as an opportunity for helping the community," said Kloey Reiber, a junior from Somerset.
Their table remained busy throughout the event that ran from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
At about 11 a.m., Borosky stood in the checkout area and spoke of how it was "an honor to be part" of the event. A shadow crossed his face as he said he had seen some of the children while on duty during a stressful and often sad incident.
A child moved passed him with a cart filled with bags of goods, two wrapped gifts, one held under each arm, and a smile on his face. The dimness left Borosky's face and he once again smiled. For him, it is all about the joyful looks and smiles on the children's faces that make this event worthwhile. He was not alone in that sentiment.
"We had tremendous support," Borosky said.
Among those who supported the event were a majority of county police departments, sheriff's office, school resource officers, state police, and state Fish and Boat and Game commissions and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Then there were sponsors and the volunteers.
The help
The event was not short on help. There were many elves. Walmart was given credit for helping make the event a "very smooth operation" by Borosky.
Several Bishop McCort Catholic High School (Johnstown) seniors helped the children who were playing games, such as a large floor-level chess set or the Jenka game. The latter's hardwood building blocks at one time looked to be nearly 7-foot tall until it was toppled by a laughing cute little curly-haired blonde girl and the adults around her. It soon became stacked again for the next youthful player.
"It is a great opportunity to meet those kids and a great opportunity for the kids," said Mike Staib, a senior at Bishop McCort.
A boy rode his bike through the checkout. He was so proud. He had to ride it through the store to get there beside his uniformed partner. No one seemed to mind.
"I'm very impressed," said Somerset Barracks State Police trooper Lt. Michael Sbardella. "It is beyond what I ever imagined."
What next?
Even though it took a team effort to make it happen, several of the coordinators of the event credit Trooper Branden Snyder of the Somerset Barracks.
"She made it happen. She is the reason it's here," said Borosky, echoed by other coordinators of the event.
"My goal right now is to expand it," Snyder said. She is thinking about a back-to-school possible event.
For this event, "the turnout was awesome," Borosky said.
"It warms my heart," said Sbardella.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Shop with a Cop event in Somerset County: 'The turnout was awesome'
