As Adam Reed tried on a new red and black coat, Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Officer John Hinton said, “It looks good on you.”
Adam placed the coat in the cart and maneuvered his way to the back of Walmart Supercenter in Seymour to check out the boots. On the way there, Hinton asked Adam how old he is and what grade he’s in at school.
In the shoe department, the 9-year-old picked out a pair of boots and tried them on. He held out his right foot so his grandmother, Christina Reed, could make sure they fit.
They were just right.
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Click here to purchase photos from this gallery“They look good on you,” Hinton said to Adam. “If you get those boots and that coat, you’ll be set.”
Spending time with Hinton on Saturday morning for the Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108 Cops and Kids shopping day was a great experience for Adam.
“It’s just fun, and when you do it, you can get stuff, and we’ll have fun with the cop,” Adam said.
The positive interaction with Adam was the best part for Hinton.
“I think the kids getting to see us as human beings and not just always out doing the bad things, taking care of all of the bad situations that some of them get into, it really shows that they can come to us when needed,” Hinton said. “The interaction with the kids just always needs to be as positive as it can be so if they need us, we’re there for them and they know that.”
It was Hinton’s first time being a part of Cops and Kids and most likely won’t be his last.
“I’ve always heard about it and just thought it would be a great thing to be a part of,” he said. “Seeing the joy of these kids getting to get something for Christmas, I know some of them have a hard time, and we just want to be a part of that and help them out.”
Christina appreciated Hinton and all of the other local law enforcement officials who helped. It was her first time participating, too.
“I just think it’s awesome because there are a lot of kids out there that could use the help, so I really think it brings justice to it,” she said. “My sister-in-law is the one that got the idea. I just started dialysis, and I just figured I’m down to two days a week (working) that it would help me out with his Christmas. That’s the reason I did it.”
Seymour Police Department Detective Sgt. C.J. Foster is president of Lodge 108 and leads the Cops and Kids program, which used to be known as Shop with a Cop.
This year, 127 kids and 58 families were served. Each kid had $150 to spend, which was an increase from $130 last year.
The FOP teamed with the Seymour Area Cruisers car club for the Pre-Scoop Cruise-In and Car Show and sold Big Red and root beer floats at Scoop the Loop, and both were successful fundraisers, Foster said. Plus, Centra Credit Union had a record year in raising money through an angel tree, and Walmart Supercenter and Walmart Distribution Center provided grants.
“Then you’ve got businesses that support us and individuals in the community, too,” Foster said. “This year was a great fundraising year for us.”
When asked to use a word to describe that, Foster said, “Heartwarming.”
“People see what the law enforcement community does, and they are willing to support that because they actually see what we’re doing,” he said.
Foster anticipated between $20,000 and $22,000 being spent Saturday morning. The families ranged from one kid to 10.
The number of law enforcement officers and their families was up this year. That included officials from the Seymour, Crothersville and Brownstown police departments and Jackson County and Jennings County sheriff’s departments. Also involved were Seymour native Gunnar Ortlieb representing the Indiana University Police Department and Seymour Mayor-Elect Matt Nicholson.
“It’s great because it’s just two or three hours out of your day to make somebody else’s day,” Foster said of the law enforcement turnout.
Brownstown Officer Ryan Cherry said he has helped in years past and was glad to do it again.
“I enjoy doing this every year,” he said. “It’s always fun to see the kids get to pick things that they want and see the smile on their face. It’s a great event for the kids and for the officers, as well. I think it’s rewarding for everybody involved.”
With a daughter and two sons at home, Cherry said he could relate to shopping with McKenna Carr, 4, and her brother, Treyton, 7.
“I get to play with the same kind of stuff — makeup, Barbies, all kinds of baby dolls, whatever she wants to play with that day,” Cherry told McKenna about his daughter.
McKenna said she enjoyed getting to pick out what she wanted.
“I got a whole bunch of stuff,” she said, smiling.
Her family members who tagged along, father Eric Carr, stepmother Christina Marsh and grandmother Donna Madden, liked being a part of the experience, too.
“She got to pick out what she wanted instead of what we wanted her to have,” Madden said.
“That’s best part, isn’t it?” Carr said to his daughter. “If she sees something she likes, the bashfulness goes away.”
Despite McKenna being a little bashful, her family was happy to see her come out of her shell with Cherry. Plus, he kept up with Treyton going to different areas of the store.
“They do a good job keeping up,” Carr said.
“I’m trying to,” Cherry said.
“You did an excellent job,” Madden said.
“I’ve got two boys and one girl, so yes, I am used to that,” Cherry said, smiling.
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For information about the Fraternal Order of Police Donald M. Winn Lodge 108 Cops and Kids program, visit facebook.com/foplodge108.
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