AUSTIN, Texas – More than 100 children in Austin are coming home with bags full of presents this holiday season.
The annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ event happened Friday morning.
Shop with a Cop in Austin
The backstory:
“This is the most exciting event for me. This is the one that gets my heart going, it just motivates me, this is my favorite event of the year,” Amigos en Azul President Vanessa Jimenez said.
“Shop with a Cop” started in 2006 with a small group of police officers from Amigos en Azul taking a few children shopping during the holiday season.
This year, Amigos en Azul sponsored children from 10 AISD elementary schools, one AISD middle school, and children from the APD Police Activities League program.
On Friday, 110 students were paired with an officer and given around $150 to spend at Target on whatever they wanted for themselves or family members.
“It shows them that we’re here from them in a time of need and a holiday we want to have for ourselves; we give it back to them,” Jimenez said.
On Monday, Dec. 15, another 110 children will shop.
The annual event is made possible by donations to Amigos en Azul. If you would like to donate, click here.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Meredith Aldis
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