Shop With a Cop event brings smiles to kids’ faces in Apopka

It’s been a hard year for 8-year-old Blanca Bracero and her parents.

After losing all of their personal belongings during Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, they ended up in Apopka last month.

But their spirits were high Thursday as Blanca and about 100 other kids participated in the annual Shop With a Cop event at Wal-Mart in Apopka. Each child received $100 worth of items and shopped with an Apopka police officer.

The program is open to needy children between ages 6 and 11 who live in Apopka and haven’t participated before.

Blanca was paired up with Officer Alex Longsdon. They made a beeline for the bicycles. Blanca said she had a bike in Puerto Rico, but she needs one here. She picked out a purple and pink bike that said “girl talk” on the front.

Later, Longsdon helped her try on a pair of pink tennis shoes. Blanca didn’t walk back to the checkout line — she bounced with excitement.

“I can have a good Christmas now,” Blanca in Spanish through a translator. Blanca’s father, Martin Bracero, said they rode out the storm at an aunt’s house. They were OK, but their home was destroyed.

“The wind blew off the roof and the water washed out the house,” he said through a translator. But Thursday was a good day. “She’s happy,” he said looking at Blanca. “I am very thankful for this event.”

Longsdon has participated in the event for most of her nearly six years on the force. This one will be memorable, considering what Blanca and her family have been through. “It is pretty special,” she said. Longsdon said the event is important because it gives the kids an opportunity for a positive interaction with police officers. “They can see we are there to help the community, not to hinder it,” she said.

Latasha James was there with her 12- and 3-year-old daughters. The shopping spree helped ensure her kids would have presents for Christmas.

“It’s a blessing,” she said. dharris@orlandosentinel.com, 407-420-5471 or @DavidHarrisOS