SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Celebrating 12 years of doing what they can to brighten the holidays for children in the community, the San Angelo Coalition of Police put one more year of Operation Blue Santa Shop with a Cop under their belts. This year members from Goodfellow Air Force Base joined in the effort for the first time.
The program takes place all across the nation where local police work with local school districts to find children in need during the holiday season and help them. For the San Angelo Coalition of Police, that means that they take the children shopping buying presents for family members and even for the children themselves.
“This is my second year helping with the event,” said San Angelo Police Department Officer Rodney Mitchell. “My favorite part is just taking the kids around and seeing them buy gifts for everyone that they want.”
After shopping with the police officers the children could also have all of their gifts wrapped before leaving the store by other volunteers.
“It is super cool to have everyone out here,” said first-time volunteer San Angelo Police Officer Marius Cobbs. “Hopefully the base can continue to be involved in the event.”
This was also the first year that due to donations SACOP was able to help some base families that had loved ones who are not going to be home for the holidays.