First responders accompanied 162 children from the Arnold area on a shopping spree last week.
For the annual Shop with a Hero event, held Dec. 11 at the Walmart Supercenter in Arnold, each child received a $100 gift card and shopped with a member of either the Arnold Police Department, Rock Community Fire Protection District, Rock Township Ambulance District or Jefferson County 911 Dispatch.
Trentin Smith, 8, of Arnold checks out a helmet at the Arnold Walmart.
The Arnold Police Officers Association (APOA) organizes the event.
“It is our favorite night of the year,” said Kevin Wilson, an Arnold Police officer and APOA president. “We work hard to raise funds for charitable causes, such as the Shop with a Hero program. Seeing the families come out and have a great time and positive interactions makes it all worth it.”
While the shopping was the evening’s main event, Josh Lambrich, an Arnold Police officer and APOA vice president, said Shop with a Hero allows first responders to make a positive impact on children.
“My church, Oak Bridge Community Church (in Arnold), has a hyperfocus on the youth,” Lambrich said. “My pastor says that is the next generation, and if you don’t focus on the next generation that could lead to a dying church. That is similar to a community.
“If we can have a positive impact on these kids by showing we are more than a badge or a ticket that we give to their mom or dad and we are actually human beings, that could be the difference in the future. We need to make those positive impacts and affect these children. That way when they are older and making decisions, they will make good decisions and we will have a better world.”
The shopping event is funded by donations collected by the four first responder agencies and a $5,000 grant from Walmart, Lambrich said.
“It is cool that we can do things like Shop with a Hero because of the generosity of the community and how they trust us,” he said. “They trust us that the money they donate will go where it is supposed to go. It is a big responsibility, and it is getting done.”
Lambrich said this year, the APOA hired a videographer to film the event, and the organization will use the video to show what it contributes to the community.
“We can reach so much of the community with the video to show what we are doing and the impact we are having,” he said.
Shopping
Lambrich said at least 20 Arnold Police officers, five Rock Community firefighters, five Rock Township Ambulance employees and two 911 dispatchers took part in the shopping event.
He said the APOA coordinated with the C-6 School District’s Fox, Sherwood, Rockport Heights, Lone Dell and Simpson elementary schools and Fox and Ridgewood middle schools, as well as other Arnold-area organizations, to select children to take part in the program.
“It was amazing,” he said. “Everything went really well. I have a blast every year.”
Lambrich said he reunited with a young girl, her grandmother and her sister for a fourth consecutive year and shopped with the young girl’s family.
“Nothing in this world would stop me from shopping with her,” he said. “I talked with her grandmother, and she told me, ‘She talks about nothing but you around Christmas. You are the only person she wants to shop with.’ It warms my heart. I look forward to it.”
The children who went shopping also had the chance to visit with Santa Claus and with members of Heroes for Kids, a nonprofit organization based in Perryville whose members dressed like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Catwoman.
“They showed up at about 5 p.m. and stayed the whole time,” Lambrich said. “They are super nice.”
Walmart also donated snacks and drinks for the children, and McAlister’s Deli provided food for the first responders.
“Walmart went above and beyond,” Lambrich said. “A Walmart employee called McAllister’s to set up their donation. Then she took it upon herself to get extra food from Walmart for us. We ate like kings.
“That partnership with Walmart is beyond measure. Every cashier and their employees were dressed up, and they were all enthusiastic with big smiles. It was great to see the partnerships come together.”
Growing
Lambrich said he is impressed by how the event has grown since he first started working at the Arnold Police Department in 2012.
Back then the event was called Shop with a Cop, and between 20 to 25 children participated.
Lambrich said the event became Shop with a Hero four years ago, and last year, 159 children were treated to the shopping trip.
“It has come a long way,” he said. “I thank the Lord we are where we are now.”
Wilson said one of the main funding sources for the APOA’s financial contribution to Shop with a Hero is the Arnold Back the Blue trivia contest the organization holds with the Leader.
This year’s trivia night will be on March 22 at the Arnold Eagles Club, 1725 Jeffco Blvd. It costs $200 to register a team of eight, which includes drinks, draft beer and snacks. People also may register as a sponsor table, which costs $600 for a team of eight, drinks, draft beer and snacks, plus premium liquor, sponsor advertisement and recognition through the event.
To register, go to the APOA’s website, apoamo.org.
As of Dec. 12, 15 of the 40 available tables had been sold, but the APOA may add some more tables, Wilson said.
He also said Anheuser-Busch, Guild Mortgage Co. and Evans Flooring have signed up to help sponsor the event.
“It is amazing,” Wilson said of the trivia contest’s popularity. “Having the partnership with the Leader is what it is all about, working together to build a stronger community.”