Holiday shopping took on a whole new meaning for several Gainesville families during the 17th annual Shop with a Gainesville Cop event Thursday afternoon.
These families were able to join officers from the Gainesville Police Department at the Walmart located on Shallowford Road for a Christmas shopping spree. Funding provided directly from Pilgrim's Pride allowed each child to have a budget of $150 to spend on anything they wanted in the store. Officers were matched up with families to assist them with their shopping, and they could be spotted helping families all throughout the store- in toys, clothing, electronics and even some Christmas decorations.
According to Sergeant Kevin Holbrook, the department works with the Gainesville City School System to help identify children and families who will benefit most from the opportunity.
"It helps us get out and have fun with the public," said Holbrook. "We're able to provide them with Christmas and a fun experience on top of it."
While Shop with a Gainesville Cop focuses on the children in the community, many parents accompanied their kids and seemed to enjoy the event as well.
"It lets our kids know that there's still things like this out there for them [and] it makes them happy," said Gainesville resident and parent Kalisha Boatwright. "It brings everybody together, it brings the community together."
