Law enforcement officers and kids found new ways to bond as they shopped together for Christmas at Sunday’s “Shop with a Cop.” And the event even included an impromptu performance of the dance known as “The Floss” by Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde. The chief and a local teen decided to have a “Floss-Off” after tossing a basketball back and forth as the two got to know each other. “Before we did our “Floss-Off,” we were dribbling a basketball and passing it back and forth,” Rohde said. “We might not normally do that in Walmart, but today, we are.” Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89, “Shop with a Cop” is an annual event in which Columbus police, Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies, Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement, town marshals, jail correctional staff members and Indiana State Police volunteer to help kids shop for needed clothing, gifts, shoes and more on a special afternoon at Walmart on Columbus’ west side. About 50 FOP members took more than 130 students on the shopping trip. A day earlier, it was Brown County officers who took more than four dozen kids from Nashville and surrounding areas to pick out their own gifts at the same store. While those statistics were about the same as 2018, each child was allowed to pick out $250 worth of gifts for themselves this year — up from $225 last year, FOP President Alan Trisler said. In total, more than $40,000 was spent on the program, Trisler said. Some of that extra money came from a grant provided by the Dorel Juvenile Group USA that was raised during a golf tournament in June, Trisler said. Earlier this month, Dorel was also the presenting sponsor for the 29th annual Festival of Lights Parade. While contributions are normally sought in October, donations are often made during the event itself, Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers said Myers says one shopper handed him a $25 Walmart gift card as he was escorting Mt. Healthy Elementary student Nevaeh Dyess, 10, on her shopping spree. Trisler was handed a generous amount of money from a young adult who dug into his wallet to contribute. “As he walked away, this young man said ‘you guys took me shopping when I was young, and I appreciated it’,” Trisler said. Clothes before toys The first children to go shopping Sunday were three siblings from the Hope area: Carl Boling, 15; Sable Boling, 13; and Bam Boling, 12. They were escorted by Bartholomew County Corrections Officer Sgt. Mike Forney. “My wife helped me last year, but she couldn’t make it today,” Forney said. But he invited the guardian of the Boling children, Kimberly Mathis, to come along and make sure what the children picked out was what they needed. The group spent time picking out socks, shoes, toothbrushes and clothing. The FOP has a policy that most of the money is spent on clothes and necessities. That policy was put into place because children served by the program come from families who “don’t have a whole heck of a lot,” School Resource and Columbus Police officer Eric Stevens said. It ensures older children get some new clothes, younger children are provided apparel they won’t outgrow quickly, and all kids get protection from the cold weather ahead, Stevens said. “It’s a policy that really helps fill a void some of these families can’t fill for themselves,” Stevens explained. After the family got to the toys, Bam seemed more than content with a toy John Deere tractor and wagon he chose. Among those who seemed to be having a great time during “Shop With A Cop” are Walmart employees. In fact, 10 of them volunteered their time exclusively to help the charity, Walmart assistant manager Pamela King said. “We love having “Shop With A Cop” here,” King said. “And every year, we try to do something new or different to help.” Daughters to the rescue Like many officers, Stevens brought along his teenage daughter to help younger girls with their shopping. While Rion Stevens, 16, provided valuable assistance, Zaylie Barngrover, 12, also knew what she wanted. The seventh grader’s Christmas list included clothing and accessories, and she chose a pink blouse, leggings and boots. But in what became one of the largest groups of the event, the assistance provided by an officer’s daughters was invaluable. When mother Jenny Fuentes came in with four daughters: Melanie, 11; Diana, 7; Celeste, 6, and Natalie, 4, the family was escorted through the store by Capt. Steve Norman of the Columbus Police Dept. Norman was accompanied by his three daughters to assist, including Kat, 19; Sierra, 18, and Lucy, 15. Even though Norman has been part of “Shop With a Cop” for 25 years, he said he still relies on the judgement of his daughters while shopping with girls “because they know a lot more about this stuff than I do.” Norman’s daughters provided both Melanie and Diana with plenty of suggestions about clothing — especially about making sure their choices were appropriate for cold weather and large enough to allow them to grow. As four members of the Norman family were taking care of their needs, Fuentes seemed to keep a constant smile on her face. “It fills me with joy to see my daughters all excited,” Fuentes said. “And the policeman and his daughters? They are like angels. We are blessed.”
Law enforcement officers and kids found new ways to bond as they shopped together for Christmas at Sunday’s “Shop with a Cop.”
And the event even included an impromptu performance of the dance known as “The Floss” by Columbus Police Chief Jon Rohde.
The chief and a local teen decided to have a “Floss-Off” after tossing a basketball back and forth as the two got to know each other.
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“Before we did our “Floss-Off,” we were dribbling a basketball and passing it back and forth,” Rohde said. “We might not normally do that in Walmart, but today, we are.”
Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89, “Shop with a Cop” is an annual event in which Columbus police, Bartholomew County Sheriff deputies, Indiana Department of Natural Resources law enforcement, town marshals, jail correctional staff members and Indiana State Police volunteer to help kids shop for needed clothing, gifts, shoes and more on a special afternoon at Walmart on Columbus’ west side.
About 50 FOP members took more than 130 students on the shopping trip. A day earlier, it was Brown County officers who took more than four dozen kids from Nashville and surrounding areas to pick out their own gifts at the same store.
While those statistics were about the same as 2018, each child was allowed to pick out $250 worth of gifts for themselves this year — up from $225 last year, FOP President Alan Trisler said. In total, more than $40,000 was spent on the program, Trisler said.
Some of that extra money came from a grant provided by the Dorel Juvenile Group USA that was raised during a golf tournament in June, Trisler said. Earlier this month, Dorel was also the presenting sponsor for the 29th annual Festival of Lights Parade.
While contributions are normally sought in October, donations are often made during the event itself, Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers said
Myers says one shopper handed him a $25 Walmart gift card as he was escorting Mt. Healthy Elementary student Nevaeh Dyess, 10, on her shopping spree.
Trisler was handed a generous amount of money from a young adult who dug into his wallet to contribute.
“As he walked away, this young man said ‘you guys took me shopping when I was young, and I appreciated it’,” Trisler said.
Clothes before toys
The first children to go shopping Sunday were three siblings from the Hope area: Carl Boling, 15; Sable Boling, 13; and Bam Boling, 12. They were escorted by Bartholomew County Corrections Officer Sgt. Mike Forney.
“My wife helped me last year, but she couldn’t make it today,” Forney said. But he invited the guardian of the Boling children, Kimberly Mathis, to come along and make sure what the children picked out was what they needed.
The group spent time picking out socks, shoes, toothbrushes and clothing. The FOP has a policy that most of the money is spent on clothes and necessities.
That policy was put into place because children served by the program come from families who “don’t have a whole heck of a lot,” School Resource and Columbus Police officer Eric Stevens said.
It ensures older children get some new clothes, younger children are provided apparel they won’t outgrow quickly, and all kids get protection from the cold weather ahead, Stevens said.
“It’s a policy that really helps fill a void some of these families can’t fill for themselves,” Stevens explained.
After the family got to the toys, Bam seemed more than content with a toy John Deere tractor and wagon he chose.
Among those who seemed to be having a great time during “Shop With A Cop” are Walmart employees. In fact, 10 of them volunteered their time exclusively to help the charity, Walmart assistant manager Pamela King said.
“We love having “Shop With A Cop” here,” King said. “And every year, we try to do something new or different to help.”
Daughters to the rescue
Like many officers, Stevens brought along his teenage daughter to help younger girls with their shopping.
While Rion Stevens, 16, provided valuable assistance, Zaylie Barngrover, 12, also knew what she wanted. The seventh grader’s Christmas list included clothing and accessories, and she chose a pink blouse, leggings and boots.
But in what became one of the largest groups of the event, the assistance provided by an officer’s daughters was invaluable. When mother Jenny Fuentes came in with four daughters: Melanie, 11; Diana, 7; Celeste, 6, and Natalie, 4, the family was escorted through the store by Capt. Steve Norman of the Columbus Police Dept. Norman was accompanied by his three daughters to assist, including Kat, 19; Sierra, 18, and Lucy, 15.
Even though Norman has been part of “Shop With a Cop” for 25 years, he said he still relies on the judgement of his daughters while shopping with girls “because they know a lot more about this stuff than I do.”
Norman’s daughters provided both Melanie and Diana with plenty of suggestions about clothing — especially about making sure their choices were appropriate for cold weather and large enough to allow them to grow.
As four members of the Norman family were taking care of their needs, Fuentes seemed to keep a constant smile on her face.
“It fills me with joy to see my daughters all excited,” Fuentes said. “And the policeman and his daughters? They are like angels. We are blessed.”
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Bartholomew County police officers began providing holiday shopping excursions to children on an annual basis about 37 years ago, Fraternal Order of Police Local 89 president and long-time event organizer Alan Trisler said.
However, there are earlier records of policemen and policewomen taking children on shopping sprees when law enforcement was part of the local Cheer Fund campaign, he said.
The current format of the program has been followed since 1994.
Similar events are held throughout the United States.
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Donations to “Shop With A Cop," which also provides year-round assistance in a variety of programs for young people, are often collected in an October fundraising campaign.
Contributions are dropped off at local law enforcement agencies in Bartholomew County.
Since the charity is sponsored by the local Fraternal Order of Police, donations can be mailed to:
- Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 89, 2120 W. County Road 450S, Columbus, IN 47201
Make sure to write on the check that it is a contribution to “Shop With A Cop."
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