- December 23, 2024
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Citizen Observer Patrol Chief Roberson Brown Jr. shops with Richard Harris and his son Sunrise, 6. Harris' two daughters, Butterfly, 7, and Reignbow, 9, were also with them shopping at Walmart. Photo by Sierra Williams
Charli Selby, 7, (front) poses with her brother Elijah, 12, (left) and mother Tyler. Photo by Sierra Williams
Shop with a Cop 2022 helped 140 kids buy presents. Photo by Sierra Williams
Santa was swarmed by the children the second he stepped off of the helicopter. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sisters Maura, 6, Mollie, 9, and Maybrie, 9, pose with their "cops," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and his wife Debbie and Deputy Carl Haggerty and his wife Sheena. Photo by Sierra Williams
Commander Mike Lutz as the Grinch who stole Christmas. Photo by Sierra Williams
Master Deputy Edward Faircloth watches Luke Maddux, 6, get his face painted by Michelle Hill. Photo by Sierra Williams
Santa Claus — portrayed by Real Estate Agent Ric Giumenta — disembarks his helicopter-sleigh. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sheriff Rick Staly (center) and helicopter pilot Patrick Dean (left) pose with Real Estate Agent Ric Giumenta as Santa after his helicopter flight. Photo by Sierra Williams
Charli Selby, 7, poses with Commander Glenn Davis in the line for face-painting. Photo by Sierra Williams
Lomnt Swint Jr. (front right) runs with a snowball toward deupties during the "snowball" fight FCSO staff hosted. Photo by Sierra Williams
Among the games available to kids before the shopping spree, FCSO staff hosted a "snowball" fight. Photo by Sierra Williams
Among the games available to kids before the shopping spree, FCSO staff hosted a dance competition. On the right, sisters April, 9, and Alexis, 6, Depasquele dance with Milagro Gutierrez, 8. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kavon Stokes, 6, and Brandon Thompson, 9, pose with Santa Claus for a photo. Photo by Sierra Williams
Kids could fill up colored sand ornaments at a craft table FCSO put together. Photo by Sierra Williams
Louann Matthers tearfully waits for the parade of FCSO cars. Her grandson is one of 140 kids who got to shop with a cop. Photo by Sierra Williams
FCSO Chief of Staff Mark Strobridge and his wife Beatrice escort Eva Erickson into Walmart. Photo by Sierra Williams
Sgt. Ron Mello escorts Johnathan Cabeza, 14, and his mother Julie Cabeza into Walmart. Photo by Sierra Williams
Commander Joe Barile pushes Eli Allen, 9, around Walmart as they shop. Photo by Sierra Williams
Leilany Guzman, 8, shops with Lindsey Stanford in dispatch and Izzy Stanford, 15, a member of the FCSO Explorer program. Photo by Sierra Williams
Lea Betancourt, 8, and Deputy 1st Class Betty Rivas. Photo by Sierra Williams
Amanda Kling and her son Remington, 5, pose with Deputy Nathan Erickson after a fun shopping trip.
Santa with Chief Kim Burrows, her son Evan, 18, Serenity Bines, 9, and Jim Burrows. Photo by Sierra Willams
Chloe Strimple, 8, and Corp. Samuel Belle with Chloe's purchases. Photo by Sierra Williams
Friday’s Shop with a Cop ended with 140 children pulling toys and bikes off the Walmart shelves.
The Flagler County’s Sheriff’s Office this year was able to pay for 140 kids to each spend $200. The event began just after 5 p.m., with games at the new FCSO Operations Center on State Road 100.
The kids even got to see Santa arrive in a helicopter. After the shopping, everyone was treated to a burger cookout in the Walmart Garden Center.
Tyler Selby’s daughter Charli, 6, was one of the kids chosen for Shop with a Cop. Selby said after the event that she was happy with how the event went.
“They treated her wonderfully,” she said, tearing up. “They treated her like family.”
Selby said she couldn’t believe they went above and beyond to even get her son Elijah, 12, a basketball, even though he wasn’t one of the kids picked for the event. Charli picked out the basketball for Elijah.
“I’m so proud of her,” Selby said. “She didn’t forget her sibling.”
Shop with a Cop’s goal is to help children and families who are struggling, whether economically or as domestic violence victims or children in foster care.
For Amanda Kling and her six kids, this year has been especially tough.
“This year we got hit hard,” she said. “We lost our housing.”
They’re staying with relatives, she said, but without Shop with a Cop, she didn’t know what the holidays would look like for her kids, four of whom are under 10.
“We weren’t going to have a lot,” Kling said.
Her two 5-year-olds — Evelynn and Remington — were selected to participate in Shop with a Cop. The FCSO-funded shopping would allow all the kids to have something they’d like for Christmas.
Last year, the FCSO raised enough money for over 130 kids to get $175 each.
This year, the Sheriff’s Office aimed to help 150 kids, at $200 each, for a total of $30,000 in donations.
They got close — $28,000, enough for 140 kids.
More than half of that money was donated directly from the people who work at the Sheriff’s Office. FCSO personnel donated $18,912.92 to Shop with a Cop, more than $3,000 more than last year.
