Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The Tradition Carries On Nicely With A New Look
Shop with a Cop recipient Quinton Golembiewski opens his present while his dad, Tylor Golembiewski, looks on after lunch at the fire hall in Kimball.
Sirens were blaring all over town Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't an emergency. It was the annual Shop with a Cop extravaganza.
Fifty-four children from kindergarten to the sixth grade were selected to be the beneficiaries of Shop with a Cop, while 40 children attended the event.
When the local Shopko store closed, Shop With a Cop coordinator Erin Heideman had to re-invent how the program was going to work. Even with the closing of Shopko, donations remained the same.
This year the fireman made hot dogs and macaroni and served the children and a parent. Santa handed each child two gift wrapped boxes, which included a variety of presents. Then the children took a ride all over town in an emergency vehicle, and finally they were treated to a movie and a snack pack for the movie. The movie was "Angry Birds 2" at the Goodhand Theatre.
Previously, recipients of the program were selected on a financial basis, but this year the Mary Lynch Elementary students were selected by school teachers and staff.
"It is more of a rewards program now," Heideman said.
Once again, local businesses and individuals stepped up and donated money for this worthy cause. The following businesses and individuals provided gifts that the children received: Brown Woodworking, Hometown Hardware, AW Laser Art, Bemis Drug and Judie Brighton.
Shop with a Cop participants include Nebraska State Patrol, Kimball Police Department, Kimball Country Sheriff's Office, Kimball County Ambulance, Kimball Fire Department and the Ladies Auxiliary.