By ANNIE C. LEAVITT
Moapa Valley Progress
Shopping cart-loads of toys pushed by smiling local law enforcement officers wove in and out of the aisles of True Value in downtown Overton on Wednesday morning, December 19. It was the annual Shop With A Cop event.
A total of ten students from Grant M. Bowler Elementary School and three from Ute Perkins Elementary were picked up from school by Metro and Nevada HIghway Patrol officers and given a ride to the store in a patrol car. Then each student was hosted by an officer through the store in an individual Christmas shopping spree.
The kids were able to pick out gifts for themselves and even for the members of their family.
The students were selected for the program by school staff for their unique financial needs at this time of year, and for their day-to-day exemplary behavior as students.
This is the 9th year that local officers have organized the Shop with a Cop event. In its first couple of years the shopping spree took place in Mesquite and the local officers themselves put up all the money for the kids. But over the years, the word of the event has gotten out and many local individuals and businesses donate to fund the program.
Local Metro officer Chris Kohntopp, who coordinated the event, expressed gratitude for the generosity shown by local businesses, organizations and individuals to make the event successful. He made special mention of many individual donors who, in the true spirit of giving, wished to remain 100% anonymous.
“Without donations, in any amount, large or small, we just couldn’t do this,” Kohntopp said.
In addition to being funded by community members, the shopping spree was brought home to downtown Overton. True Value Hardware owner Randy Tobler has been hosting the Shop with a Cop event at his store for the past seven years now. The store provides a deep discount to the program on all the goods purchased.
“It makes for a great event for everyone; the kids and the officers and the local businesses,” Tobler said.
By the looks on the student’s and officer’s faces alike, this tradition spreads cheer to not only those that receive but maybe even more to those who are giving.
After selecting toys for themselves and their families the students are treated to a Mcdonald’s Happy Meal and then taken back to school.
Meanwhile, school PTO members and a group of the officers’ wives rush to wrap all the presents. Then all of the gifts; along with food for a full Christmas dinner which is donated by Overton Lin’s Market; are delivered to the home of each child.
Melissa Estes, the wife of Metro officer Corey Estes, has been wrapping and delivering presents every year that this local event has taken place. “I love being here,” she said, “seeing the kids and watching their faces light up as we deliver the presents along with the food to the homes and see the gratitude of the parents.”
The favorite part of the event for Metro Officer Nate Jones is “spending time with the kids and riding in the patrol car with them.”
“It’s all about the smiles and the fun and thinking about their families,” Jones said. “The very first two presents my student picked were actually for his brothers.”
Officer Dransfield was experiencing the local Shop with a Cop event for the first time this year. “I thought it was fun to see (the kids) grab things for their siblings and even their pets,” Dransfield said. “It was such a good experience to see them pick whatever they wanted.”
Metro Officer Corey Estes has participated in the event every year. “This is a community event for the kids and the businesses alike,” Estes said. “But my favorite thing is, immediately when the students come in, they all start thinking about their families.”
“We have to deal with so much negative stuff in our job,” Estes added. “So when we get to do something positive like this it’s refreshing.”
Some of the officers even donated time during their day off to make it to this special event for these students. As we make an effort to focus on making the world brighter for others and the world during this season, we can all take a moment and learn a lesson from this wonderful annual tradition.
