The fourth annual event paired cops with less fortunate children to help them shop for their families. Gift cards and other donations were provided by local community organizations.
At 8 a.m. on the dot, a bus turned the corner into the Target parking lot on Cross Keys Road last Saturday with Santa Claus leading the way, and the Gloucester Township police officers and Target employees cheered as loud as they could. One by one, children from Gloucester Township received a rock star welcome and stepped off the bus to high-fives and more cheers.
It was the fourth annual Heroes and Helpers event, a fun-filled morning where less fortunate children were served breakfast, had a chance to meet with Santa and make arts and crafts before going Christmas shopping with the police officers. Gift cards for the children and other donations were provided by local community organizations such as the Gloucester Township Rotary Club, The Pine Hill Rotary Club and the Gloucester Township Kiwanis. Police officers volunteered their time.
“It’s a very heartwarming and touching event every year for the officers to be able to help children in the community and to volunteer their time to make a difference in a child’s life,” said Jennifer McLaughlin, community relations officer. “Children are really the heroes that day, and the police officers become the helpers. We reverse roles to make that child’s holiday complete.”
The majority of the children purchase gifts for their family members so they have something under the tree on Christmas morning and don’t even buy a gift for themselves.
“They buy for their family members and think of others before themselves, which is very heartwarming,” McLaughlin said.
The children’s parents were notified a few weeks before the event that their child was chosen to shop with a cop, but Sharmone Woods surprised her daughter Janiece and didn’t tell her until the morning of.
“She said, ‘breakfast with Santa and the cops are coming to get me? I can’t wait!’ Woods said. “She is so happy to be here. It is very special.”
“Nothing has ever happened to me like this,” Janiece said. “I’m so excited.”
The 9-year-old quickly came up with a shopping list and knew what she wanted to get for her mom, sister and nephew.
“I want to get my mom a purse, my nephew a toy with Batman on it, and my sister loves purple, so anything purple I can find,” she said.
Officer Greg Flynn was paired with Janiece, and the two hit it off as soon as they met.
“She was a blast,” he said. “She knew exactly what she wanted, and it makes me excited that she’s excited about it. When you help people out, you take a lot of pride into it and it means a lot to them, therefore it’s giving back and means a lot to us.”
It was a family affair for Sgt. Tom Knapp, who was participating in the event for the first time. He brought his daughter and two sons to help shop with the Foster sisters — Star, Cassandra and Jace.
“It’s exciting and we’re happy to help out those in our community,” Knapp said.
“This shows how strong our community is and the bond that the police and our community has and how we can always bring the holiday spirit and Christmas to those who might not have as much as others,” Lt. Brendan Barton said. “It makes you feel warm inside and lets you know there is a lot of good in people. There’s always something you can do for someone. The smallest little thing you can do makes a big deal for others.”
