93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
25 disadvantaged children from mid-Missouri are enjoying a brighter Christmas, thanks to your generosity and the Moniteau County Sheriff’s shop with a cop event.
Sheriff Tony Wheatley says the 25 local children were primarily selected by school districts. Sheriff Wheatley says the children were assigned to patrol cars on December 15, and were allowed to run the lights and sirens through California, as they headed to Jefferson City’s Target.
“It really brings the kids closer to our local police departments. And let’s them see that we’re just people too, just like they are. And it helps relationships a lot,” Wheatley says.
The shop with a cop program raised about $7,500 this year. Wheatley says the children were thinking of others as they shopped at Target.
“A lot of those kids, well most of this kids that went with us, not only bought toys for themselves but they bought stuff for other members of their family as well. Their little brothers and sisters and things like that,” says Wheatley.
Commerce Bank, California’s Cargill, Sydenstrickers, Brockes Tire, Co-Mo Electric and the California Eagles are some of the businesses and organizations that donated, along with teachers in California and Jamestown. The Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Department of Conservation participated, along with officers from the California, Tipton and Jamestown police departments.
Sheriff Wheatley also praises Tipton children Owen Crane and Ryder Bracht, who raised more than $2,000 this summer from their lemonade stand in Tipton. They donated it to shop with a cop. Crane and Bracht also raised money this fall to purchase coats at Target for the needy.
“Last year they raised I believe it was close to $500. And this year they went high-tech on us. They opened up a Venmo and all kinds of stuff and they raised $2,016 this year off that lemonade stand in Tipton. And of course donated all that to shop with a cop,” Wheatley says.
The sheriff also thanks the families of Crane and Bracht and the customers who purchased lemonade from the stand. The Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department presented Crane and Bracht with the “young citizen award” in September. This is the second straight year the Tipton children have hosted a lemonade stand for shop with a cop. They are eight and nine years old.
Sheriff Wheatley emphasizes that the shop with a cop program is funded entirely by donations, and that they hope to do it each year.
