12-03-09 Shop With a Cop
Local Kids “Shop with Cop” Thanks to Forest County Potawatomi Foundation
and Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office
Making the Holidays Brighter for Children in Need
Milwaukee, WI - On Saturday, December 5, 2009, 55 children will shop for holiday gifts with Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. and dozens of Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies thanks to a generous grant from the Forest County Potawatomi Foundation.
About five years ago, while Sheriff Clarke was visiting his in-laws, he saw the nationally acclaimed “Shop with a Cop” program advertised in a Green Bay newspaper. The program builds positive relationships with young people in the community and Sheriff Clarke immediately wanted to bring it to Milwaukee County.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office reached out to the Milwaukee-area business community and in 2006, the Sheriff’s vision became a reality. Financial and service donations from a variety of businesses will allow children from the Neighborhood House of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Sheriff’s deputies to enjoy breakfast and a day of holiday shopping together.
Here’s how it works. Each child, ages 5-12, is paired with a Sheriff’s deputy. They’ll board a charter bus and head first to the Solid Gold McDonald’s, and then to Wal-Mart in Greenfield. At Wal-Mart, the children will purchase up to $100 worth of Christmas gifts for family members and themselves. After shopping, the kids, cops and volunteers wrap gifts, and enjoy lunch and entertainment provided by American Enterprises International. Officers from other nearby agencies will join in the fun.
“In this season of sharing, this is a great opportunity to make a child’s holiday a little brighter,” says Sheriff Clarke. “If we influence children early, we can forge a positive perception of law enforcement officers that will last a lifetime.”