These kids could have bought any toy they wanted. Instead, they shopped for their families
Angel Miranda-Cruz could have bought just about anything he wanted for himself at the Tacoma Target Saturday morning during the annual Shop with a Cop event.
Toys, video games, movies.
Instead, the shy 7-year-old picked out a $40 brown leather purse for his mother.
“Porque ella siempre me ayudando,” he said. “Because she is always helping me,” his shopping buddy, Tacoma Police officer Nathan Reetz, interpreted.
Angel also bought his mother a jacket and purchased a drone for his brother. He spent very little on himself, Reetz said.
Angel, like the other kids at Saturday’s morning event, comes from a disadvantaged family. But his selflessness wasn’t unique, said Shop with a Cop president Elizabeth Schieferdecker.
“I tell the officers that the kids have to buy something for themselves because most of the kids will come with a list and they want to buy for everyone else in their family and they are lowest on the list,” Schieferdecker said.
“All kids have good hearts, but these particular kids who have nothing are very generous and see the need everyone else in their family has.”
The 105 children who were partnered with a Tacoma police officer at Saturday’s event are nominated by their schools. The schools choose hardworking, kind children, Schieferdecker said.
“Despite the fact that they have no money, and they come to school with the same clothes, they’re really good kids who try really hard,” she said.
With officer Juan Diaz’s help, Julian Clark, 9, picked out a football, basketball and Nerf set for himself. But he didn’t forget his two younger sisters, 7 and 5. They’ll be getting a Monopoly game, Hot Wheels and toy animals.
“When they heard I was going to do this, they were mad and were going to cry so I told them I was going to buy them stuff,” Julian said.
Julian bought his mother a Christmas tree ornament and his father his favorite candy: Reese’s.
Target has been partnering with Shop with a Cop for 28 years, said store manager Britney Mitchell. Kids spent $19,000 at the store during the 2017 event, she said.
The bulk of the funding comes from Tacoma police officers’ donations and the rest from Target and private donations.
Each child is given a $150 gift card.
“Often, if it’s maxed out, the officer will pay the difference,” Mitchell said.
That includes Tacoma Police Chief Don Ramsdell.
“I don’t count until I get to the cash register,” Ramsdell said. He was shopping with Cooper Mathenia, 10.
Ramsdell and Cooper were busy in the video game section while the chief’s family members were picking up other gifts for Cooper.
One of them was a box of red and gold Christmas tree ornaments. Cooper asked for them because he wanted the family tree to look nice for his brothers, he said.
Though there were volunteers on hand to wrap presents Cooper wouldn’t be bothering with that.
“When I get home, I’m going to set up the PlayStation,” he said.
In the 23 years Schieferdecker has been involved with the program, it’s grown by 50 kids and the budget has tripled.
The officers are volunteers. Some bring their families to the event.
Officer Shawn Malott brought his two sons to help Husani Johnson shop. Garrett, 10, and Colby, 6, gave Husani their learned opinions on video games, toys and other choices.
“I’m so excited,” Husani said.
It was also, he added, his 11th birthday.
Husani picked out a warm blanket for his mother, a metal water bottle for his dad and treats for his dog.
“I got everything for my mom, my dad and my dog,” Husani said. “I’m going to get one more thing for me.”
Husani got to ride to the store in Tacoma police’s Bearcat, the department’s super-sized rescue vehicle. Officer Zac Wolfe showed kids how to run the lights and siren.
Most of the other kids were picked up at their homes and driven to the store in Tacoma police vehicles. The occasional siren could be heard as cars approached Target.
Back in the store, Detective Josh McKenzie helped Ah’Zareon Lee, 7, pick out a movie.
“Deadpool?” Ah’Zareon asked McKenzie. The movie is R-rated.
“Uh ... no,” McKenzie replied.
“Spiderman?” Ah’Zareon countered.
“Spiderman we can do,” McKenzie. “They make one for every generation.”
In the end, Ah’Zareon settled on “The Incredible Hulk.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2018 at 1:33 PM.
