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St. Henry Police Office Ryan On takes part in Shop with a Cop on Saturday morning at Walmart in Celina. Officers from nearly every law enforcement agency serving Mercer County helped children pick out clothes, shoes, toys, and video games.
CELINA - Multiple local law enforcement agencies converged on Walmart Saturday morning to carry out a mission of goodwill, as officers partnered with children from throughout Mercer County to select Christmas gifts.
Meanwhile, at the Richardson-Bretz building in downtown Celina, Celina Masonic Lodge 241 members and their families hosted the sixth annual Santa's Masonic Workshop, providing thousands of dollars worth of action figures, dolls, bicycles and other toys to a bevy of families.
"There's many wonderful benefits to living in a small town. We really try to look for our own around here," said George Moore, the Masonic lodge's education officer and marshal.
Celina Police Officer David Powell chats with his shopping buddy as they seek items at Walmart.
Nearly 20 officers from local police departments, the Mercer County Sheriff's Office and the Wapakoneta Post of the State Highway Patrol turned out for the annual Shop with a Cop program at Walmart.
The uniformed lawmen, some pushing shopping carts, could be seen traversing the lengths of Walmart, with children and teens in tow. The officers often conferred with the kids before plucking the likes of a remote control Ford F-150 Raptor Pickup Truck from a shelf or standing on tiptoes to check the price of a bicycle overhead.
"I'm just trying to look up a silent basketball. I've never heard of it," said Celina Assistant Police Chief Dan Harting as he combed the aisles for the elusive gift requested by a youngster. "I don't know. It (apparently) doesn't make noise in the house when you bounce it."
This year, each of the roughly 40 children could select up to $200 worth of presents, thanks to donations to the Shop with a Cop via the Grand Lake Law Enforcement Association.
"We did very well from people donating this year so, yes, we have enough to cover (the expense), which we are very happy and very proud that people … see that what we say we're going to do, we do, and the money goes to the kids," remarked Calvin Freeman, the county clerk of courts and erstwhile Celina assistant police chief.
The kids were told to consider their practical needs in addition to the wish lists compiled in their minds.
"If there's a need, try to address the need, whether it's new shoes, a new coat," said Celina Police Chief Tom Wale. "But we also want them to enjoy the day and come home with something that they want."
Fort Recovery Police Chief Jared Laux, right, helps a Mercer County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jeremy Gruss up a remote control truck into a shopping cart.
Fort Recovery Police Chief Jared Laux said he's perennially impressed with how well the kids adhere to the guidelines.
"Shoes. Socks. Coats. Lots of clothes. I mean, they don't get greedy with toys, at all," Laux said. "They know what they need, and then we help them find the right size with the parents, too, if the parents are along."
Laux he gets a kick out of the experience and shows up every year he can.
"We get just as much out of it as what they do," he said.
State Trooper Matthew A. Dyer helps a teen look for presents.
State Trooper Matthew A. Dyer felt inspired watching a teen prioritize his family over himself while choosing items.
"When you're here with a humble young man like this, where he's shopping for his loved ones, not just buying things for himself but buying things for his mom, it really tugs at the heartstrings," he said.
"They always like give the gift of love to me, and I try to give that back," Dyer's shopping buddy said.
Aside from gifting Christmas presents, the program's other goal is to show a positive side of law enforcement, that officers are caring and approachable, according to Wale.
"I think it does show that the officers of the county do care. We want them to be service-oriented, and this just shows that that's exactly what they are," he said. "We can give back a little bit, and give these kids a positive experience of law enforcement."
It can also be an uplifting occasion for law enforcement.
"We are with people at their lowest points of their life, sometimes. I've done more than my share of death notifications dealing with injury crashes, meeting people in hospitals," Dyer said. "This gives us a chance to, you know, help out and stay positive."
After shopping, the children and their families were treated to a free meal at Celina Dairy Queen courtesy of restaurant owner Jessica Wolfe.
Each year, CALL Ministries is asked to nominate a number of Mercer County families who are struggling to take part in Shop with a Cop.
CALL Ministries has a finger on the pulse of the community, Wale said. Along with operating a food and clothing pantry, they also organize other programs, including a backpack program that gives qualifying students in need bags full of food to keep them fed when they're not in school.
This year about 40 children were chosen for Shop with a Cop.
"If we had the staffing and the money to bring in 200 kids, (CALL Ministries) could get us 200," Wale said. "This is, you know, unfortunately, just a fraction of the need, but we'll continue to do what we can do every year."
Somewhat similar in concept, Celina Masonic Lodge's program relies on Celina City Schools' guidance counselors to put together a list of families who may go "overlooked," according to Moore.
The parents were brought in on Saturday morning to select about three to five gifts for each of their children, which lodge members then wrapped in Christmas paper.
Celina Masonic Lodge 241 Education Officer and Marshal George Moore wraps a present on Saturday morning at the Richardson-Bretz Building in Celina.
"One of the tenets of Freemasonry is charity and being involved with your community. We decided that we wanted to take it upon ourselves to provide a Merry Christmas for families that, they're doing their best, and they just may not be able to give the merriest of Christmases," Moore said.
Lodge members fork over thousands of dollars to buy the Christmas presents for children in one of their largest philanthropic endeavors of the year.
Santa's Masonic Workshop typically serves 150 to 200 kids each year, said Masonic lodge member Steve Piper.
"We just wanted to help out the community and wanted to do something to try and help with Christmas and take some stress off of some of the families," Piper said.
