Today at the Jasper Wat-Mart there was a beautiful spirit of Christmas flowing through the store. It wasn’t all the decorations, the gadgets or the all consuming task of shopping but instead the feeling of fulfillment.
Today marked the fifteenth year of the Annual Cops and Kids event put on through a coordinated effort between Tri-Cap, the Local and State police and Wal-Mart management.
This year children boarded a big yellow school bus with a destination for fun. Smiling police officers waited, making small talk and discussing the days events with passersby curious about the large gathering of the men & women in blue.
As the children arrived they were paired off with their very own police officer, who would take them shopping. The cart was filled from a list of necessities with gifts coming in the latter. The children were timid at first but as the officers asked them what they thought they would get the smiles and excitement burst out with request of all things simple.
Bikes, footballs and a dolly as one excited little girl could be heard telling her police officer sidekick.
The children are so thoughtful and in a quick thought from Joyce Fleck the Executive Director for Tri-Cap, she shares how the event is funded…
The positive feeling could not be ignored between the officers and the children which is a great way of communication.
Adam Bower the Chair of the Cops and Kids program discusses the fun and the importance of establishing good relationships in the community…
After the shopping was over the children loaded back onto their yellow bus that took them in a parade fashion, with escorts of flashing lights and sounding sirens on police cars, to the Moose. The Jasper Moose donated lunch for the days events and while there the children were surprised by a jolly visitor, the big guy himself, Santa Claus.
Capturing the true meaning of giving and the Christmas spirit, the day was another success with thoughts of next year already starting to cumulate.
If you or someone you know would be interested in donating to this great program, checks can be made to Cops and Kids FOP No.138 and mailed to the attention of officer Adam Bower at the Jasper Police Department, 309 E. Sixth St., Jasper IN 47546. Toys may also dropped off at the police station.
For more information, call Bower at the Jasper Police Department at 812-482-2255.
