BOLO: Christmas With a Deputy Will Light Up Target With 100 Children Friday Evening
FlaglerLive | December 13, 2012
In fantasyland, they could pass for Christmas lights. (green kozi)
Don’t panic. Don’t call your friends wondering what the commotion is all about. And no matter what, don’t call the cops.
More than 60 cop cars with lights flashing and sirens blaring will be traveling through the Town Center shopping area in Palm Coast at 6:30 Friday evening with some very special youngsters who will be participating in the fifth annual Christmas With A Deputy.
No fewer than 100 children will get to shop, with a $150 gift certificate each, through Target’s shelves. The $15,000 gift is made possible by Target, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, and other local sponsors, including the Flagler Beach Police Department, Bunnell Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol, whose cars should be blaring too.
Target shoppers should expect to see law enforcement officers crowded into the toy and electronics department as the youngsters shop for holiday gifts for family members.
Shopping with a Deputy helps youngsters whose families are struggling: With more than 11,000 people living below the poverty line in Flagler County, they may not have the means to buy gifts. Shopping with a Deputy provides those means. In 2008, some 14 children participated. It was organized by Sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Jones. The event has grown every year. Last year, 40 children participated.
“There was a need in the community for this because so many families had been laid off due to the economy,” Jones said. “These were families that were used to having Christmas presents and suddenly found themselves struggling just to put food on the table.”
Today, private donations and support from the Sheriff’s Office’s employees and other law enforcement personnel have allowed the program to expand to serve 100 children.
“The kids love it and the faces of the deputies just light up when they are shopping with these youngsters,” said Sgt. Jones.
Just watch your homes for burglaries. When the cat’s away the mice will play. 60 cars!
Awesome.
Now that’s a great story , : )
Who will be running radar on Frontier & Florida Park????
Why so negative? There will still be deputies working the road and answering calls for service and patrolling the county. All of these deputies are volunteering their time to participate in this program and many have donated out of their checks for the entire year to make this program successful.
Awe! !! That is. So Sweet! !! YEAH…I LIKE. AND LOVE THE PROTECT AND SERVE. Flagler is special. HUGS
A wonderful story on a terrible news day.
Thanks, I needed that!
This is a great program for those who’s children are truly needy. The sad thing is that I know for a fact there is one recipients mother who indeed abused the system to get something free for her so called needy child. The said parent lives with her boyfriend whom supports her by working full time making $21 an hour working 60 hours a week,and is driving a brand new truck. The mother also receives nearly $400 a month in child support for the child and refuses to even attempt to find work for herself claiming she disabled with no medical proof! And to top it all off this mom has also bought the receiving child a gaming computer for Christmas for $600, and the child is also having Christmas at the fathers home as well as many extended families homes! This just makes me sick! There are children in our community in shelters and parents whom are single working full time for minimum wage with multiple children whom have barley nothing after paying monthly bills to lkeep a roof over their heads! I don’t know how this woman was able to pull the covers over this organizations eyes but I also don’t commend Flagler county in any of their screening process for ones to receive this blessing for the holidays. There are thousands of children whom rightfully deserve this in our county verses those who get it and don’t!
I contacted Mr. Jones and informed him of the situation and yet he still let the child participate! This article itself says it’s for those in NEED, not those who WANT!!!! And guess what the child bought with his loot? A $100 pair of head phones and 2 video games………all for himself! I am disgusted! Shame on his mother for ABUSING the system and shame on Mr. Jones for still allowing it to happen when another truly need child will now go without!
@Poohbear I would continue to hound Mr. Jones, and the sherrifs department about those people. I would also be insistent that the families be checked out more thoroughly. How parents earning good money can allow their child to participate and deprive a child in REAL NEED is beyond me. Appparently they have absolutely no conscience!!!! Bah humbug Xmas to them.