"Shop With A Cop" Spreads Holiday Joy In Warrington

WARRINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA —The holiday season will be a lot merrier this year for 32 elementary school children from Warrington Township thanks to a generous community and the men and women of law enforcement.

For the sixth year, 24 Warrington Township police officers traded their cruisers for shopping carts to make the season brighter for local families facing an economically or personally challenging holiday season.

It was all part of “Shop with a Cop,” a nationwide event that pairs youngsters with police officers in a holiday shopping spree like no other.

(Credit: Warrington Township Police Department)

Video by Lizzis Customs (Dave Lizzi & Natalya Lizzi).

From one end of the store to the other, the smiles and the holiday joy was everywhere as officers and youngsters went shopping together in a priceless montage of laughs and smiles and sometimes difficult decisions on whether to buy one thing or another.

The Warrington Police Department worked with the township's elementary schools - Barclay, Mill Creek and Titus - to identify families in need. To pay for the gifts, the department secured a grant from Walmart and several donors stepped forward to help pay for the gifts. Peregrine Associates also provided invitations and bus passes for all students.

Others making “Shop with a Cop” possible were the Phillie Phanatic, who stopped by for some fun; Warrington Rotary Club members and the Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion, the costuming organization dedicated to celebrating STAR WARS through the creation and use of quality costumes that portray characters from the STAR WARS universe).

(Warrington Township Police Department)

The event was organized by Officer Kozuch, Officer Peranteau and Officer Pettis, who embraced the holiday spirit in costume.

“I would like to thank the staff at the Walmart Supercenter of Warrington for working with us on this year’s ‘Shop with a Cop’ event,” said Warrington Police Chief Daniel Friel. “I also want to thank the Warrington Township Police officers who participated in the event, the Warrington Rotary Club, as well all the volunteers who helped to make this a huge success for families in need in our community.”

The Grinch is taken into custody by a group of Storm Troopers.