A SusanvilleStuff PhotoFeature
by Marshel and Jeremy Couso
Every single year it grows more magical, and more amazing, to stand and watch as so many kids – kids were nominated due to their parents’ financial status, because they are foster children or children who were previously terrified of the police, children with terminal illnesses or children who are being rewarded for being great kids – all arrive to find that Christmas is alive and well in the hearts of our community.
There is a look on the faces of everyone, young and old, from the moment Santa arrives in the helicopter until the very last shopping cart is emptied. You can see it in our gallery – every single person with a huge smile plastered on their faces from beginning to end. This is the Susanville Police Officer’s Association’s annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ event, which has grown into a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when a community comes together for a deserved and worthwhile cause. It has also grown to be one of the single largest programs of its kind anywhere in the nation thanks to the hard work and dedication of Officer Terra Avilla and her wide network of holiday helpers!
Avilla, who begins the process of organizing fundraisers and the event itself in the spring, thanked everyone who went out of their way to be helpful and to show love to others in our community.
“I want to say a huge thank you to all of our First Responders who came in on their days off and got up extra early to make a huge difference in a child’s life,” Avilla said, “and thank you to all of our volunteers who came in and made the morning absolutely wonderful.”
This year nearly 120 kids were invited to take part in the holiday fun, almost three times as many as last year, arriving at daybreak in the WalMart garden center where they waited for Santa’s big arrival. First the kids were treated to a parade of participating law enforcement agencies, fire companies and first responders followed by Santa’s entrance in a helicopter.
Once inside the store the children were paired up with law enforcement officers from a wide variety of agencies who took them on a shopping adventure in the WalMart toy section. Kids were entertained by the players from the Lassen College Baseball Team who always make such a difference when they lend their considerable man-power to local events.
Funding for the event came from money raised by the annual Police Officer’s Ball along with generous donations made by the community. Contributions made it possible to exceed all hopes and expectations, eclipsing last year’s numbers. Because of this town, and this program, every nominated child had a real Christmas party and experienced a big slice of holiday spirit.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who donated any amount of money,” Avilla said. “It mattered, and it made a difference.”
This video from the Susanville Police Officer’s Association helps illustrate the sheer joy of the day!
We have more than 200 photos in our Shop with a Cop gallery just click here and head on over to SusanvilleSnapshots.com
We have more than 200 photos in our Shop with a Cop gallery just click here and head on over to SusanvilleSnapshots.com
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