Last week, shoppers at the Burlington Walmart might have, at first, thought a major sweep was going down in the store when they saw the sight of dozens of uniformed law enforcement officers spreading out around the store.

But, as they noticed each with a child alongside them, it became apparent it was all for a good cause.

The annual Lawrence County Shop With a Cop event took place on Monday, and, this year, it helped to bring a better Christmas to 27 children in need from families in each of the county’s school districts.

This program has been in place for nearly 30 years and, for the last several years, has been coordinated by Sgt. Derek Malone of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, who has the children referred for the event from counselors at their schools.

The entire event is all paid for through private donations and Malone, along with Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless, urged the public, both individuals and businesses, to consider donating to the event, in order to continue this effort for years to come. 

Those who are interested can contact the Highway Patrol or the sheriff’s office to contribute to the program.

As organizers point out each year, for many of the children, this may be their first real interaction with law enforcement and, thanks to the nature of the event, it allows officers to make a good first impression and show them their agency works to serve them.

We thank Malone, Lawless and all of the organizers, as well the officers who took part this year, as well as Carlos Ortiz, owner of Casa Grande, who provided them families an after-shopping meal.

Thanks to all of their efforts, this ensured that these children had a bright Christmas and a truly positive memory they can cherish for years to come.