Regina Police, The Regina Intersectoral Partnership, and the Cornwall Centre have all teamed up to once again bring Cop Shop.
About 20 kids from unfortunate families were paired up with Regina Police officers for an afternoon of shopping and a pizza lunch at the mall.
Chief Evan Bray said it’s a great event to be a part of all around.
“It gives youth in our city an opportunity that they might not normally get, it gives us a chance to have positive interactions with the police service which is such an essential part of building a strong community, and (Monday was) a fun day for everybody involved,” Bray said. “I guarantee, you talk with any of the police officers that are here, they’re having just as much fun as the kids are.”
TRiP Coordinator Lance Dudar said the selflessness of the children is really touching.
“These kids, for the most part, don’t have anything or don’t have the ability to go Christmas shopping, and when they get the ability, they don’t buy a bunch of stuff for themselves,” Dudar said. “They buy one little thing for themselves, and they spend the money on their siblings and their parents.
“It makes makes you cry, it really does. I cry almost every year that I’m here because it’s very heartwarming to see that from kids who don’t have anything.”
Cornwall Centre spokesperson Doug Bailey said it’s always exciting to see what the children buy each year.
“The one that I heard on my bus which was great was that one of the young boys has a little sister that’s about to walk, he wants to buy a camera so he can take a picture,” Bailey said. “It’s those type of things that really go a long way.”
Each kid is given a $200 shopping gift card, a picture with Santa, and a new winter jacket as part of the fifth annual event.
