Shop with a First Responder offers children a unique holiday experience
ST. MARYS - This year’s Shop with a Cop had a bit of a twist and was retitled Shop with a First Responder with local fire departments joining local law enforcement to help local children do their Christmas shopping.
Shop with a First Responder took place Wednesday evening at the St. Marys Walmart as 14 children were helped with their Christmas shopping by law enforcement from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Elk County Sheriff’s Department, City of St. Marys Police Department, Ridgway Police Department, and Johnsonburg Police Department. And this year for the first time, firefighters from Crystal Fire Department in St. Marys along with those from neighboring departments in Fox Township, Jay Township, Ridgway and Johnsonburg joined the annual event.
Crystal Fire Department Lieutenant Steve Simon said he applied for a grant through Walmart in March of this year and received $1,000 to contribute toward this year’s shopping event.
“I thought it would be great if the fire departments got involved. So I applied for the grant and we got it and I reached out to the other departments and they were more than happy to do it,” Simon said.
Simon said they hope to make each year’s event bigger than the last and be able to help more local children.
“Next year, we’re hoping to triple this. So it’s going to be a real big for next year,” he said.
According to PSP Trooper Matthew Batzel, this year the additional Walmart grant money brought in by the fire departments enabled more children to be involved in the shopping event.
The event is opened up every year to all school districts within Elk County and each school district invites several
children to participate in the event.
Batzel reiterated that bringing local volunteer firefighters into the event this year allowed the event to help more children.
“It gives us more volunteers. It gives us more reach into the community,” Batzel said.
The event was organized
by the Pennsylvania State Police with assistance from the City of St. Marys Community and Economic Development.