EVANSTON — Twenty-seven law enforcement officers from the Evanston Police Department (EPD), the Uinta County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol teamed up to provide 66 local children a memorable Christmas on Saturday morning, Dec. 14. According to EPD Lt. Ken Pearson, the Shop with a Cop has been a local Christmas event for more than 30 years.

The morning’s activities started at 7 a.m. at the Hampton Inn where parents brought their children for a breakfast provided by the inn. The children signed in and were given a tag with their assigned officer’s name on it who took them shopping at Walmart.

After breakfast, the children rode in their assigned officer’s vehicle; with lights flashing and sirens blaring the parade traveled down Harrison Drive, onto Front Street and ended at the Walmart parking lot.

EPD Lt. Rhett Groll said the children riding with him had the most fun pushing the siren buttons and watching the lights flashing. Once at Walmart, the children and officers were greeted by Santa Claus and some in management dressed for the occaision — the Grinch and a pink bunny were spotted.

As the officers and their assigned children made their way around the store, the Walmart staff took photos and interacted playfully with the children. As shopping carts were loaded with whatever the children picked out, lines begin to form at the checkout lanes where the Uinta County Peace Officers Association paid for all of the purchases.

As the children left the store with their carts full of gifts, the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association members and their wives gave a large bag of groceries to each family. The groceries were purchased at the Smith’s Food & Drug and were paid for through Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Hunger Initiative.

On Wednesday morning, Dec. 18, the members of the Uinta County Peace Officers Association took 10 students from the high school learning lab to Walmart to shop for Christmas. EPD officers and Sheriff’s Office deputies met with the students at the learning lab and provided doughnuts and juice before taking the students in their patrol cars to Walmart.

Principal Scott Kohler, several teachers and teaching assistants also went with the group. After the students finished shopping, the officers took them back in the patrol cars to the high school. EPD Sgt. Shawn Stahl said the group also shopped for one extra student who couldn’t attend that morning.

Each year, local law enforcement helps make Christmas a little bit brighter for children in the community and at the same time develop good will.