Sagamore Hills Police sponsors 17 children for Shop with a Cop

by Kathleen Steele Gaivin
With lights flashing and sirens blaring, officers, police explorers and volunteers escorted children on a holiday shopping spree to Target on Dec. 14.

The Sagamore Hills Police Department raised more than $3,500 and was able to sponsor 17 children for this year’s event, thanks to donations from local businesses and residents, along with raffle ticket sales. Leftover cash will be used for Shop with a Cop in 2020.

“Shop with a Cop 2019 was our best year yet,” Juvenile Officer Dan DeCrane said.

The Shop with a Cop program is an annual community outreach initiative that assists families that have fallen on hard times. DeCrane said that typically, children the department sponsors are Rushwood Elementary students.

“Each child sponsored is given a $100 gift card and attends a shopping event held by multiple Summit County police agencies,” DeCrane said.

Six SHPD officers participated in the event: DeCrane, Ptl. Ryan Shelby, Ptl. Jason Lamtman, Ptl. Mike Foschia, Ptl. Gary Petrusky and Ptl. Mark Flynn.

Along with the officers, four SHPD Explorers helped the children shop: Exp. Sgt. Adam Hegedus, Exp. Tyler Justice, Exp. Alex Peters and Exp. Carson Carrell. In addition, four adult volunteers helped: Becky DeCrane, Bethany Teriaca, Pat Petrusky and Ashley Pistone.

After starting the day at Sagamore Hills Town Hall, where they received a custom T-shirt and posed in a photo for parents, the local children and their cops headed to Stow-Munroe Falls High School for a breakfast buffet and photo opportunities with Disney princesses and superheroes.

Following breakfast, the Sagamore Hills officers loaded their charges onto a Peterman school bus, which the Nordonia Hills City School District donated for the day.

DeCrane said that 288 children and police from various jurisdictions drove to Target in Stow in a single-file parade-like procession with full use of lights and sirens. The Northfield Target store hosted a parade made up of other police departments.

“Once at Target, children were given time to shop with their police officers and buy items they wanted for Christmas,” he said.

The day didn’t end there. Once the shopping spree was over, SHPD escorted the children to the Macedonia Fire Department substation in Sagamore Hills where they enjoyed a pizza party. Teresa’s Pizza of Sagamore Hills donated the meal.

“Once the children got their fill, they reunited with their parents and told stories of their fantastic day,” DeCrane said. The police department accepts donations for Shop with a Cop throughout the year. Shop with a Cop is only possible due to the generosity of the community. For information or to make a donation, contact DeCrane at 330-468-3515 or email him at ddecrane@mysagamorehills.com.

Feature image photo caption: The rain certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of the 17 children that the Sagamore Hills Police Department sponsored for this year’s Shop with a Cop event.