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Young Writers: Shop with a Cop from the Circle Gazette
Wednesday,
December 14, 2011
“Shop with a Cop” is a program dedicated to the help of underprivileged kids who do not have gifts for the holiday season. Circle Gazette reporters Aaron and Sara Cross talked to the founder, Officer Tony Careccia of the Margate Police Department.
“I worked in a middle school for many, many years, and I saw that a lot of kids didn't have anything for the holidays,” he said. “So I got together with Wal-Mart and the Chief of Police of Margate and we came up with this program.”
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Tony explained that the reason he could really get the program going was due to the help he got from the Chief of Police, Jerry Blough. The Shop with a Cop program has been up and running for five years, with the help of the fire station, churches, and generous donations from the public.
We think that the Shop with a Cop program is the absolute BEST thing the Margate Police have done. Forget about stopping crime and all, this is just plain awesome! Okay, that might have been an exaggeration, but it is still pretty amazing that all these kids are getting some holiday spirit. Even kids who do not celebrate Hanukah or Christmas or Kwanzaa can still shop with a cop or fire fighter and buy what they need. Also these kids will see that there are people who care about them; and that the policemen are here to help us – not to just go out and arrest people. They will realize that cops are the good guys; and that there is still hope for a brighter future where they will not need programs like Shop with a Cop.
The Shop with a Cop program is a great place to put charity and donations. It is not like a lot of big organizations where only a small percentage of the charity goes to the cause, and the rest gets paid to the workers. All of the money goes to helping the kids in the community; and the cops are doing the work on their spare time. All money that does not get used goes to an emergency fund for kids during the rest of the year.
This year, Shop with a Cop happens at 9 am. on Saturday at the Margate Walmart on Atlantic Blvd. The event targets needy kids who have already been identified by the school system and local non-profits.
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