Clackamas Shop with a Cop Event Successful

Shop with a Cop is an interactive opportunity for police and kids to get to know one another. Any concerns that the kids may have had about police is often changed for the better.

Clackamas Shop With a Cop event

(CLACKAMAS, Ore.) - The Clackamas County Shop with a Cop event was held on Saturday, December 19th at the Clackamas Wal-Mart.

Mark Koberstein, Secretary/Treasurer, Clackamas County Peace Officers' Benevolent Foundation, says 29 kids from Lot Whitcomb Elementary School and 15 kids from Canby each got to shop with police officers from Canby Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, West Linn Police Department and DEA.

Kids were able to interact with their 'assigned' officers as they browsed through the store. Each had a $100 gift card.

Canby Police Department Officers raised the funds for the kids from their community and the Clackamas County Peace Officers Benevolent Foundation donated $2550 combined with a $450 grant from Wal-Mart.

Employees from Wal-Mart provided a separate check out area for the event. They also wrapped all the gifts for the kids, supplying gift wrap, ribbon and tags.

Images of the 2009 Clackamas Shop With a Cop event

Retired Deputy Dick Ellis volunteered as Santa. Canby PD had 4 officers, West Linn provided 1, DEA had 1 and the Sheriff's Office had 14 Deputies to help with the shopping. Several board members from the Clackamas County Peace Officers Benevolent Foundation also were present to help out.

Shop with a Cop is an interactive opportunity for police and kids to get to know one another. Any concerns that the kids may have had about police is often changed for the better. Plans are already underway for another Shop with a Cop for next year.

The Clackamas County Peace Officers Benevolent Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization that exists to assist police officers and their families in Clackamas County, when an officer is injured or killed. The Foundation also works closely with programs dedicated to helping at-risk children.

The Foundation has worked with Lot Whitcomb Elementary School on several projects, all helping kids who live in the Overland Park area of Clackamas County.