Four Boys & Girls Club of Cypress members were selected to participate in the Cypress “Shop with a Cop” Program on Thursday, Dec. 18. The program was created in the year 2000 to foster positive relationships between youth and law enforcement. Now each year more than 200 communities participate in the nationwide program.
The event paired public safety officers with two youth from each club site for an evening of holiday shopping at Target. The members were selected based off of their overall improvement since beginning at the club, as well as for displaying outstanding behavior and citizenship.
On the evening of the event, a team of police cars, officers, and K-9 units came to the club to transport the participants to Target in Cypress. After asking lots of questions about life as a police officer, the kids were led into their private police cars. As the group approached the storefront, the members took delight in their arrival with lights and sirens. Each child was given a budget to spend and was assigned to their own police officer to help escort them around the store and help them pick out fun new toys and gifts for the holidays.
After the event, Boys & Girls Club of Cypress Site Director Samantha Johnson stated, “It was really heartwarming to see the police officers taking time out of their schedules to do this for our deserving members. The kids had an absolute blast and couldn’t stop grinning from start to finish. It was an event that these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.”