Bedfordtimesregister.com - Hundreds of children get to "shop with a cop'

Maple Heights Police Sgt. John Kurtz helps Stacey Bansky, 10, select items for herself and her family.

RPC Photo / Eric Marotta A motorcade lasting several minutes brought hundreds of children and area police to shop at the Macedonia Walmart on Dec. 10.

Macedonia — Shoppers at the city’s Walmart might have been startled to see several hundred excited children accompanied by police officers from numerous communities the morning of Dec. 10.

The children were there as a part of the Shop-with-a-Cop program, which was started by retired Garfield Heights police officer Nick DiMarco in 1996.

DiMarco said off-duty officers from Macedonia and 20 Cuyahoga County police departments escorted 345 children from around Northeast Ohio. They arrived in dozens of vehicles, including police cars with blaring sirens and school buses.

DiMarco said each child was given $120 in Walmart gift cards, mostly paid for through proceeds from raffle tickets sold by participating police officers.

The Walmart store donated $5,000.

Store Manager Deana Goeldi said this is the first time the Macedonia store has taken part in the program, which started 15 years ago.

“I think this is a great event and we’re very happy to have them in here,” she said.

Children are selected through a variety of means, said DiMarco. Many have “families that are hurting” financially and are recommended by their schools. Others are children of military personnel or children of police officers killed in the line of duty.

Retired Newburgh Heights police officer Bill Morrison said children typically do not buy just for themselves.

“The first thing they want to do is get something for their parents, believe it or not,” said Morrison. “But I tell them, ‘You need to get something for yourselves first.”

Macedonia Patrolman Chris Neal said raffle tickets sold by Fraternal Order of Police Suburban Lodge 108 paid for the two children he escorted. The lodge includes members of the Macedonia, Northfield Village, Sagamore Hills, Twinsburg and Walton Hills police departments.

Neal said he volunteered after Police Chief Jon Golden asked him if he was willing.

“The chief received an email and said, ‘Hey, you want to do it?’ and I said ok,” said Neal. “I’ve heard it’s fun. The kids have a great time.”

He added he plans to take part again next year.

Olmsted Falls resident Arley Baron, 10, one of the children escorted by Neal, spent some of the money on himself, but also bought presents for his grandmother and sister.

“I like it. It’s awesome,” he said. “I love it. I get to get what I want.”

Kelly Baron, Arley’s mother, thanked the police and other volunteers and Walmart for making the program possible.

“I just think it’s an amazing opportunity for the kids,” she said. “I know at this time of year, families are struggling.”

DiMarco, who was a police officer for 45 years, said he started the program as president of the Fraternal Order of Police George Murray Lodge 67 in Cuyahoga Heights, which represents 15 departments.

“It’s grown ever since,” said DiMarco.

DiMarco said the happiness the program brings is why it has lasted.

“Walk around the store and look at the kids, that’s what we get out of it,” he said. “Then look up at the smiles on the escorts faces.”