The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
GIFT OF GIVING
OPD brings cheer to 76 local children at Shop With a Cop
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> For 76 local youngsters, Christmas came a few weeks early this year.
Armed with a member of the Oneida City Police Department, a shopping cart and a $100 gift card, children put on their own investigation of sorts, looking for the perfect gift for moms, dads, brothers, sisters, extended familymembers, and of course, themselves as part of the 29th annual Shop With a Cop event.
Sponsored by the Oneida Police Benevolent Association, the Shop With a Cop programgives area youngsters an opportunity to experience the best of the holiday season: the gift of giving.
The cheer was evident on the faces of the 76 children and dozens of uniformed shoppers alike on Saturday at the Oneida Walmart.
An opportunity to show the public a different side of law enforcement, the event helps law enforcement forge connections with communitymembers.
Shopper Mackenzie Royal led Investigator Matt Gacek — a 13-year veteran of ShopWith a Cop — throughout the store, guided by a detailed list with ideas for mom, dad, stepdad, brothers, and sisters.
“She came well prepared; she knew everything she wanted,” Gacek said grinning. “She was teaching me, today.”
And while Royal was waiting in line to check out, she gave Gacek a lesson on her Rescue Runt — an adoptable plush stuffed animals that mimic the behaviors of dogs — showing him how to wipe tears
An opportunity to showthe public a different side of law enforcement, the event helps law enforcement forge connections with communitymembers.
off of her rescue, a pup she decided she was going to name “Cuddly.”
“That I got to get toys for [my family],” Mackenzie said when asked what her favorite part of the day was. How did her helper do in helping her locate all the gifts she wanted? Two thumbs up, Mackenzie motioned.
“I think it’s a pretty decent idea,” Mackenzie’s dad, Terry Clark said. “Puts more of a smile on my face. Awesome, Awesome.”
For Gacek, Mackenzie’s thumbs-up approval is part of the joy of participating.
“Interacting with the kids,” he said of the best part of Shop With a Cop. “Seeing their excitement.”
Oneida Police Benevolent Association President Mike Burgess, one of the OPD’s many veteran participants, always enjoys seeing the kids’ reactions when they learn they are selected - via recommendations from the Oneida City School District.
“The smiles on their faces when we go to the schools and show the letter they were selected,” he said of his favorite part of Shop With a Cop. “Their eyes light up.”
He was also impressed with giving nature of Oneida’s future.
“Almost all of them want to shop for family. We have to remind them to shop for themselves, too,” Burgess added.
The OPD raises money for Shop With a Cop throughout the year, relying on their annual golf tournament and community donations to help foot part of the price tab. The Oneida Owl’s Nest has also supported the OPD and the program for years, and this year was no different.
“Without their donation alone, we wouldn’t be able to provide for half of these kids,” Burgess said, expressing his gratitude for the Owl’s Nest.
To learn how to donate, contact the Oneida City Police Department at (315) 363-9111.