Local law enforcement agencies held Christmas shopping events Saturday to help families in need have a Merry Christmas.
Each year, local law enforcement officers band together as part of the Kids, Cops and Christmas program, to shop with local children for Christmas toys and other necessities.
The program has multiple benefits. Not only are area children in need assured of having warm clothing, toys and other essentials for the Christmas holidays — they also have a chance to get to know local deputies and police officers up close and personal — as positive role models, and people in the community whom they can rely on and trust.
The Lady Lake and Fruitland Park officers began their holiday duty when they met with the Kiwanis Club of Lady Lake before 8 a.m. at the Target at Rolling Acres Plaza in The Villages. More than 20 police officers, support staff and a dozen Kiwanians were teamed up with area children and their families.
Corey Gold, president of the Lady Lake Kiwanis Club expressed gratitude for the generosity of the Villagers, citizens of both Lady Lake and Fruitland Park to make it possible for the area children to “shop with a cop.” More than 95 children and their families were overjoyed at the opportunity to have their Christmas dreams come true. Each of the children at the Target event received a blanket from the Project Linus chapters serving Lady Lake and Sumter County. These homemade blankets were made by local chapter members.
The Wildwood Police Department had more than 60 children and their families present at the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge. They co-ordinated the start of their shopping with the Sumter County Sheriffs office and had a special place where Santa and Mrs. Claus could have their pictures taken with the children.
At 9 a.m. the Walmart at Buffalo Ridge Plaza had a line of children and their families stretching out the door and down the sidewalk. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office had 45 deputies, support staff including local high school students who are enrolled in the Sheriff’s Explorer program on hand to help the children as they moved thru the store. The 400 children that were guests of the sheriff’s office had been selected by their schools and by deputies who had contact with the families and found them to be in need. Sumter County Sheriff Pat Breeden pitched in with his deputies and was escorting children on their shopping spree. He expressed gratitude for the generosity of the Villagers and area residents which made the event possible.
As the last of the children completed their shopping, the sheriff and his deputies were off to the Walmart in Bushnell where they would be able to bring joy to 200 additional children. The sheriff’s office will also deliver more than 500 bicycles this season to area children at Christmas parties throughout the county.
Capt. Robert Siemer estimated that more than a 1,000 area children would be touched by these programs and by the generous gifts by area residents.