Shop with a Cop event brings holiday joy to Highlands youths
The holidays brings out the inner child in everybody and at no time is that more apparent than when Christmas shopping.
The annual Shop with a Cop get-together paired a group of Highlands Police officers, plus their spouses and significant others, and about 16 kids from Highlands for a day of fun, food and shopping for presents, according to Highlands Police Department Sgt. Detective Andrea Holland.
“A lot of the time when we see these kids it’s for something bad,” she said. “Speaking for the entire department, we had a genuine blast. It’s nice for just one day out of the year, we get to escape from all the bad and have a good time.”
Holland said police officers are human and they like Christmas as much as anyone.
The day started Saturday, Dec. 14 at The Factory arcade in Franklin where the kids – and police officers too – ate and played arcade games. The kids ate free, with meal tickets coming from local donations, Holland said.
“After eating and playing games, we went to Wal-Mart with Visa gift cards and shopped,” Holland said.
Upon returning to Highlands, the group convened at the Highlands Episcopal Church of the Incarnation where coats and hats were passed out from donations there, plus a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.
The Shop with a Cop program in Highlands came to town when Chief Bill Harrell started here 12 years ago, Holland said.
“Chief Harrell brought it with him from Franklin,” she said.
The program was run in conjunction with the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and still is, but Holland said about three years ago, Chief Harrell suggested to move the Highlands portion of the event to Saturday so kids from Highlands could experience the fun on a more intimate and personal setting with local police officers.
Along with personnel from Highlands Police and the MCSO, the Shop with a Cop program includes several fire departments, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin Police Department, the N.C. Highway Patrol, teachers, social workers and other volunteers.
“I took my wife and children, and we took the same little girl that we took last year,” said Macon County Sheriff Robert Holland.
In fact, one of the newest employees with MCSO participated in the Shop with a Cop program when he was a child.
“So, it’s come full circle,” the Sheriff said.
Sheriff Holland said none of what they do with Shop with a Cop would be possible without the support of the community that funds the program 100 percent, “And the families that allow us to take their children and share the Christmas spirit with us.”