Free shopping spree brings smiles to area youth

Jer’Kaylin Parks of Columbus couldn’t hide his smile Thursday as he shopped with police officer Emmanuel Rosado at Walmart in Columbus Park Crossing.

“It’s good,” said Jer’Kaylin who was one of 56 children selected for a shopping spree at the 5448 Whittlesey Blvd. store. Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police, the 2016 Cops, Kids and Christmas provided $100 for each youth to select personal gifts or shop for members of the family. Traveling in a motorcade of police cruisers, all of the kids arrived in style at the shopping center, with sirens wailing and blue lights flashing.

Police Maj. J.D. Hawk, head of the Patrol Services Division, said the program dates back to the 1970s.

“We pick kids from the community that most likely wouldn’t have a great Christmas because of circumstances, and we team them up with police officers and bring them out to go shopping,” he said.

While the event is about shopping with young people, Hawk said 75-80 officers are building relationships with the youth.

“I have had kids that went shopping years ago that are adults now, and they come up and say, ‘I remember,’ ” he said.

For officer Rosado, it was his second shopping spree with a youth.

“It takes me back in memories I had in the past,” he said. “Giving back to kids is awesome.”

Jer’Kaylin, a first-grader at Double Churches, said he had a lot of items on his Christmas list, but he hinted that a video game would make him happy.

Cpl. Angela Florence said shopping is a good experience for Marcus Baker, a fourth-grader at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, but also good for his family members. “Just to see smiles on their faces is awesome,” she said.

Florence said the event also is a chance for other law enforcement agencies to get together. Joining the Columbus police were the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee County Marshal’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service.

“Every year I get an opportunity to do this, I will be doing this,” Florence said.

In his first shopping trip, Deputy Sheriff Michael Thomas said he didn’t know what to expect before he was matched with Jacob Lee. “I was a little scared,” he said. “I think I was more scared than the parents were. I’m learning on the fly.”

Cpl. Keith Gibson is a veteran supporter of the shopping spree — more than 20 years. He and Cameron Lewis, 8, emerged from the aisles with a basket full of wrapped gifts. “It was smooth, and we had a great time,” Gibson said.

Cameron had thoughts about opening the gifts early.

“They are not going under the tree,” he said. “When I get home, I’m going to open it.”

With the recent deaths of law enforcement officers in Americus and other cities, Hawk said the event lets people know that officers are human.

“We are out here and have relationships with the public, and it puts us as human beings with the public,” he said.

This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 9:06 PM with the headline "Free shopping spree brings smiles to area youth."