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A parade of police cars moved slowly down Annapolis Road in the Landover Hills area of Maryland on Wednesday morning, lights and sirens blaring, and kids in the front and back seats.
But unlike most people, the kids were glad to be riding in the cop cars. It鈥檚 part of an annual tradition at Capitol Plaza, during which Walmart hosts the Prince George鈥檚 County Police Department, and this year police from Riverdale Park as well, for the Shop With a Cop event.
About 50 kids were picked up by police and given a shopping cart and a $100 gift card. They had about two hours to shop before they were taken to a nearby Three Brothers Pizza for lunch.
And the officers who were with them were given just one directive: 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to spread the joy and happiness,鈥� ordered Prince George’s County police Maj. James Keleti.
The kids went racing off with their carts, with most headed to the toy aisle on the other side of the store.
鈥淔irst thing when I asked her what she asked Santa for this Christmas, she said ‘I want to have a bike,’鈥� said Riverdale Park officer Walter Bustamante, who was with a 10-year-old girl named Bethany.
Lucky for her, bikes were on sale. She picked one out and even rode it around the store first, before Bustamante put it in her cart.
鈥淪he鈥檚 so happy,鈥� he said.
A couple aisles away, a boy named Xavier was throwing toys featuring Sonic the Hedgehog and Batman in his cart.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to give back to the community and make sure our kids are safe and feel loved and appreciated,鈥� said Sgt. Jovann Ayers, who was trying to keep up with Xavier.
And what were the kids looking for?
鈥淭hey鈥檙e looking down all the aisles for Sonic and Transformers and Pikachu and Pok茅mon and everything else,鈥� she said.
Her crew made a beeline to the toy aisle first.
鈥淣o surprise at all,” she said.
But even better? Ayers said her kids were also 鈥済iving family members gifts that they probably wouldn鈥檛 receive any other way.鈥�
Capt. Joe Bellino, who leads the District 1 station in Hyattsville that serves the neighborhoods where many of the kids lived, noticed that too.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the greatest things that we see about this program,鈥� Bellino said. 鈥淲e see young children really being selfless. Not only purchasing items for themselves that they want, but many times they鈥檙e purchasing items for their family members and that鈥檚 what this holiday season is really about.鈥�
But for all the excitement over the toys, many of the kids also end up wheeling their carts through the food and clothing aisles to purchase items too.
鈥淢any times they don鈥檛 want to spend the money exclusively on themselves,鈥� Bellino said.
Every year, the kids get $100 to spend however they want. But at the start of the event, the police were presented with a $5,000 check that will help kick start the fundraising for next year. The hope is that each kid will be given even more money to spend in 2025.
鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 probably one of the most fun days of the year,鈥� he said.
How excited were the kids? When an 8-year-old named Hector was approached, he grabbed the microphone and started walking to the cart to show off what he was getting.
鈥淚鈥檝e got a big gun and a Rubik’s Cube and MrBeast Lab thing and a Hot Wheels with a shark,鈥� Hector said.
What was his favorite part of this?
鈥淎ll of them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 wanted some toys very bad.鈥�
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