For 19 years the Colonial Regional Police Department has conducted its ‘Shop with a Cop’ program which partners police officers with deserving children on a holiday shopping spree. Seven kids had breakfast at Chick-Fil-A, shopped at Walmart and enjoyed a visit with Santa Claus during lunch at Red Robin Dec. 6.

The youngsters travel first class from stop to stop in a police vehicle with emergency sirens blaring and lights flashing as they arrive from Chick-Fil-A at Walmart. They are partnered with a Colonial Regional Police officer and a helper, who is usually the officer’s wife or other family member.

At Walmart, team members at the store wait en masse out front to cheer their arrival and welcome them.

During their shopping experiences, each child works off a list prepared in advance with gift ideas for family members. They can shop for themselves as well, and they are required to select two gifts for donation to the U.S. Marine Reserves’ Toys for Tots program.

Funding is provided through private and business donations and each child receives an equal share.

After checkout they present their Toys for Tots donations to a group of Marines who are members of the Marine Corps League and then line up with shopping carts full of their selections so Walmart employees can wrap their gifts and place gift tags on them.

The procession continues to the final stop at Red Robin, where the officers, helpers and children have lunch. A visit from ‘Red’ Robin, the Red Robin mascot, initiates a session of rock, paper, scissors with the big bird.

The highlight comes right after lunch when Santa Claus arrives on a special visit. The children’s heartwarming glee is rewarded as they sit on the floor in front of Jolly Saint Nick and he hands them each a small bag of gifts.

“It’s an annual event that our officers love doing just as much as the children do,” says Chief of Police James DePalma.

Colonial Regional Police records manager Wanda Stackhouse says they work closely with elementary schools in the department’s coverage area to determine which children will participate.