Eureka Police officers treated 36 children from 13 families to a shopping trip before Christmas as part of the department’s annual Shop with a Cop event.
The shopping trips were made between Dec. 9-16, officer Jen Werges said.
Werges, a school resource officer at Eureka schools, said this year’s shopping trips were handled slightly differently because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19.
Normally, the officers pick up the children, take them to Walmart to shop and finish the trip with a sit-down dinner with the children and their families at Culver’s.
Werges said parents drove children to Walmart this year, and officers invited the kids to take a tour of the city’s courtroom after shopping.
“We weren’t able to go to dinner and do that kind of fun stuff,” Werges said.
Each child received $100 to purchase items such as sheets, clothes or coats, and the shoppers also were given $100 to spend on toys, Werges said.
She also said the children’s families were given about $200 worth of groceries.
The children selected to shop with the officers attend or live in the Rockwood School District. The shoppers are selected from recommendations from school counselors, Werges said.
Werges said Culver’s gave families gift certificates, since the restaurant at 400 Meramec Blvd. could not host the normal dinner with the officers and the children’s families. She said Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park donated passes for each family to come through its Santa’s Magical Kingdom light display.
Werges said businesses that helped collect donations for the shopping trips included Culver’s, Red Door Liquor, Poor Richard’s, Hola, Super Smokers, Eureka Music and Realty Executives Premiere.
Werges said 14 officers participated in the shopping trips.
“It’s kind of getting contagious because the other officers are coming back after the event and they’re saying what a great time they had with the families and especially the kids,” she said.