It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas on Wednesday night at the University Town Centre Walmart – and Vic Propst’s salt-and-pepper beard and light-up Santa hat didn’t have a thing to do with it.
Well, check that. Maybe it had a little to do with it.
Because Propst had a lot to do with the proceedings and why the faces of some 130 youngsters were lit up with magic of the season on this evening.
They rolled in for the 2022 edition of “Shop with a Cop,” the Christmas shopping extravaganza he and now-retired Monongalia County Sheriff Al Kisner launched like Santa’s sleigh back in 1988.
The veteran officer Propst was patrolling for the county as a deputy then, while also serving as president of the Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
Kisner was chief deputy at the time, and he and Propst thought a local version of the national community policing initiative would be a good way to put a caring identity behind the badge.
In the case of Wednesday’s “Shop with a Cop” – or “Shop with a First Responder” as it was known, too, since firefighters also helped out – the main idea was to put smiles on the faces of kids from households that might need a little extra help for Christmas.
Area schools provided lists of names that might fit, and the young shoppers were all give an equal allowance to go shopping, with a uniformed officer pushing the cart and keeping the running total.
“You still have ten bucks, friend,” one patrolman said, as the shopper he was helping chaperone eyed the iconic “Clue” board game, with Colonel Mustard and crew.
‘Who ya gonna call?’
Old favorites such as the above shared space in carts with the latest whiz-bang offerings of the 21st century, making for an interesting dynamic of acquisition for the evening.
Back in 88, it was all Jenga, “Ghostbusters” action figures and the time-honored stalwarts of G.I. Joe, Hot Wheels, plush Teddy Bears and Barbie.
Wednesday night at Walmart, it was electronics, Pokeman, pillows with crazy patterns and the “Exploding Kittens” card game.
Propst regarded it all with a grin curling up from under his still-new beard, just like Santa.
“This is my favorite event that we do,” he said.
“We had 10 kids that first year. You remember the old Hills Department Store in Star City? That’s where we went. We got done pretty quick.”
On this evening, it took three shifts to accommodate everyone.
Kisner, out of his happy retirement for one evening, laughed as he tried to do the math when a guy with a notebook asked how many children have, indeed, shopped with a cop here over the 30 years-plus.
“Yeah, 10 kids, as Vic said, and it just picked up,” the former sheriff said. “Each coming year, we’d get 25 more, or 50 or 100. When you look at their faces, it’s everything.”
There is a serious side to it all. New coats and clothes also occupied some carts Wednesday.
In the air, there’s a feeling …
And the fun with the officers had meaningful intent too, which went past the joshing in the aisles, Star City Police Chief Jessica Colebank said.
“It’s nice for kids to see us in a capacity where it’s not someone getting in trouble,” she said.
“It bridges that gap of police in the public eye. Whenever kids are less fortunate and have a rough life growing up, this gives them a bit of a different perspective on things.”
On this evening, with carts and hearts full, the perspective trended toward fun.
Holiday cheer abounded.
Parents smiled and joked with police officers.
When she wasn’t greeting people with a “Hello,” bump from her snout, Rose, the chief bloodhound K9 officer of Granville PD, was helping sniff out items on shelves for possible purchase.
One shopper was quite happy with his – a video game that he waved in a policeman’s direction, with a smile and a thumb’s up.
Evidence of an evening well-spent, it was.
The first responder responded – with a holiday haiku, of sorts.
“I see that, buddy. Enjoy. Merry Christmas.”
TWEET@DominionPostWV
