Cops show kids joy of giving

Associated Press

TACOMA — Eight-year-old Courtney Moisant didn’t sleep Friday night.

That’s because she knew a Tacoma police officer would knock on her front door just after 6 o’clock Saturday morning to take her and brother Cody to the Tacoma Target store for a Christmas shopping spree.

Courtney and Cody, 9, were among 78 children who spent $14,500 Saturday in the company of some 85 active and retired members of the Tacoma force who work with a registered charity called Shop With A Cop.

This marks the 12th year Tacoma children — who meet various criteria — were taken to the Target store and allowed to buy gifts from funds donated by the charity and, in many cases, by individual officers.

This year’s budget was $12,500, said organizer Kim Crowder.

Detective Steve Shake presented his own credit card to make up the difference in cost between what two boys in his care bought shopping and what they’d been allotted.

"It’s great for us to be able to watch these kids," Shake said. "Their eyes light up when they’re buying things for their family."

Shake shopped with Sammy Sturgess, 10, and Keelynn Johnson, 9.

And perhaps this would be a good place for Sammy’s family and Keelynn’s family — along with the relatives of Courtney and Cody — to stop reading. Nobody wants to spoil the Christmas surprise.

"I’m getting my mom Christmas earrings," Sammy said. "I know how she is at Christmas with earrings."

He also bought Legos and a truck for his brothers, a CD player for his sister, a watch for his dad and some Milk-Bone biscuits for his dog, Flash.

Why buy gifts for his family and not for himself?

"Because I love them," he said. "I need it for my family," said Keelynn, whose choices for others included clothes, toys, lipstick and a CD player. Thanks to Shake’s credit card, the boys also were able to buy gifts for themselves.

Volunteer carolers serenaded the shoppers, other volunteers wrapped all the gifts, and Santa offered an ample knee. Participants in the program included members of Tacoma Police Union Local No. 6, spouses and families, employees of the records and dispatch units, and members of the chiefs’ union. Target employees from the Tacoma store and from other stores in the region helped direct traffic and assist the children in making decisions.

"I look forward to this all year long," said Tacoma police detective Larry Andren.

He recalls the year he became involved with the Shop With A Cop program. He was assigned two brothers, 9 and 10.

"They were living with their grandmother. She was on Social Security. The one thing they wanted most of all was a pair of slippers for her, and a real set of drinking glasses. They’d been drinking out of empty peanut-butter jars.

"I do this to find out how lucky I am," he said.

His luck Saturday paired him with Courtney. Her brother shopped with another officer to prevent discovery of any gifts the two siblings might buy for one another.

"I mostly bought for my mom," said Cody, over cookies after the shopping was done.

"I don’t have a dad. I’m really looking up to my mom.

"I bought things for my family because I really love them," Courtney said. "And I love my brother, too."

Said Cody, "This is the funnest time of my life."

Associated Press

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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