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Wednesday, November 22, 2017

It's time for the 25th anniversary edition of Shop With A Cop in Wellsville


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
IT’S TIME FOR THE 25th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF SHOP WITH A COP
 Santa says “It’s nearly time for the annual "Wellsville Shop With A Cop!" For 25 years in a row, Riverwalk Property Management and the Wellsville Kmart will again welcome underprivileged youngsters for a morning of Christmas shopping that they might not otherwise experience.
The program gives each child breakfast with Santa, a wrapped gift for themselves and cash to shop for gifts for their family members.  The bonus is that police officers are on hand to serve as guides and helpers for the tiny shoppers.
In past years volunteers from the Wellsville Village Police, Allegany County Sheriff's Department, New York State Police, Andover Village Police, Bolivar Village Police, Alfred Police Department, Belmont Village Police, Cuba Police Department, Alfred University Public Safety Department, Angelica Police Department and several other departments have participated. Some departments and officers have not missed a single Shop With A Cop event in 25 years!
With the involvement of the various police agencies, this shopping trip takes on a whole different character.  The children, some afraid of the police, have a chance to adopt   their "very own cop" and have him or her help them shop.  You can see and feel the bonding as the morning progresses. The officers always look forward to this special morning and enjoy it as much as the kids do. Once chosen and paid for, the gifts are wrapped in colorful Christmas paper by     community volunteers, such as   Alfred Martial Arts.  Then comes the final good bye from Santa and maybe a hug from a new friend in a police uniform.  Soon it's back home with memories that will carry over all holiday season.
The cost for this program has always been funded by donations from various groups and many generous individuals. The Department of Social Services has also helped tremendously with candidate selection. Through community support, in 2016, nearly 100 children participated in this program. It costs $40.00 to sponsor a child, and interested parties can deliver their donation to the Kmart Service Desk by December 7.  Those with questions about the program may contact Linda Bierman at the Wellsville Kmart or Steve Havey at the Greater Allegany County Chamber of Commerce. The Kmart phone number is 585-593-0030, and the Chamber is 585-268-5500.