29 Children Go Christmas Shopping With Roswell Police Officers

The Roswell Police Department over the weekend partnered with Target to host its annual Heroes and Helpers day.

Thanks to the generosity of a Target grant and private donations, the department was able to help 29 local underprivileged elementary school children with their Christmas shopping.

Each child received a $100 Target gift card that allowed them to purchase Christmas gifts. Roswell police officers accompanied the children throughout the store to help them with their shopping.

After the shopping spree, there was a gift wrapping station, a cookie decorating station, a craft station, a breakfast station and a special visit by Santa Claus. About 26 officers, 15 Citizen’s Police Academy graduates, civilian employees and family members were at the event to help make this a special occasion for the children.

“Although this was called Heroes and Helpers, we were truly the ones that felt honored and blessed to share this special day with these children of our community,” the agency said on its Facebook page.

Photo 1: Officer Marcos Fernandez showing off the new Tonka Police Cruiser with his special guest and mom.

Photo 2: Santa with Officer Mark Cabral and his special guest taking a break from cruising the store.

Photo 3: Face painting by Kathleen Shearer, a 2013 Citizen Police Academy graduate.

Photo 4: Officer Jeff Lanier and his Transformer loving boy that he was paired with.

Photo 5: Santa getting a hug from one of his biggest fans.

Photo 6: McGruff posing with officers Jeremy Bringle and Jeff Lanier Lanier and two very excited children.

Photo 7: Chief Rusty Grant paired with this beautiful young lady.

Photo 8: Detective Dana DeWeese, crime fighting dog McGruff and a family ready to head out into Target to shop.

Photo 9: Santa’s helpers at the gift wrapping station, Citizen Police Academy graduates Gary Smith (left) and Nick Nixon.

Photo 10: From left to right, officer Payne, Caplan, Capt. McRae, Frommer, Johnson, SANTA, Major, Bringle, Lanier, Van Alstine, and Chief Grant.

Photo 11: The group of helpers and the children.

Credits: Roswell Police Department