By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – This year’s Shop With A Hero event in Port Angeles is coming up this Saturday, December 9. The annual event pairs members of law enforcement and other agencies with local children in foster care. The kids are given cash they can use to shop for Christmas gifts for their family members, and they are escorted by their assigned hero around the Port Angeles Walmart.
Port Angeles Police Detective Swift Sanchez has been involved with the program for 4 years. Back then it was called Shop with a Cop. It involved a handful of volunteers and served just 20 children. This year, she says they expect over 120 children, and volunteers are coming from communities all over western Washington to participate.
“Honestly, there’s too many to list. We get local law enforcement agencies, we get folks from Jefferson County, we get folks from Kitsap County, we get some Department of Corrections folks all the way from Olympia, and it’s a pretty popular project.”
And because so many agencies are involved, on Saturday, shoppers will see dozens of police cars, Coast Guard vessels, and other vehicles cramming the parking lot in front of the store.
“We like to make the event as visible as possible. We really want to promote a positive relationship with our law enforcement in Clallam County. And so, that is one of the reasons we line up the police cars. We want the citizens to stop and talk to us and check out the cars. Anybody is welcome to stop and check it out when we’re there.”
Besides shopping for their family members, the kids have their gifts wrapped, get photos taken with Santa, and snacks are provided as well.
And, thanks to some very generous donations from the Lower Elwha Tribe, the Jamestown Tribe, and from the Naval Elks Club, the kids will be given $150 to shop with, instead of last year’s $100.
“The reason that so great is, these kids are shopping for presents for their families. Often times, we really have to convince them to also pick out something for themselves, because they’re just so excited to buy gifts for the people they love. We also want them to be able to get something for themselves. So now that we’re able to do that, I think this year is going to be even better.”
(Photo of Detective Sanchez with young shopper courtesy of Jesse Major)