Valley-wide first responder effort brings ‘Shop with a Cop’ tradition to local youth

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office recently issued the following press release on its collaboration with other local law enforcement and first-responder agencies for the “Shop with a Cop” holiday program:

As we approach the heart of the holiday season, the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office is excited to announce a collaborative effort with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, Roaring Fork Fire Rescue, Basalt Police Department, Aspen Police Department, and Snowmass Village Police Department to bring the ‘Shop with a Cop’ experience to some of our most deserving school-aged children.

While ‘Shop with a Cop’ has been a cherished tradition for years within individual agencies, this marks the first time a valley-wide initiative will host the event simultaneously. Law enforcement agencies partner with local schools to select deserving children, not solely based on financial need. Some children may benefit from positive interactions with law enforcement or may be facing family changes such as death, divorce, or even new marriages. Schools, knowing the children best, play a crucial role in the selection process.

The ‘Shop with a Cop’ event is scheduled for the evening of December 16^th, 2024. Thanks to our community partners, agency partners, and generous donations from numerous businesses and individuals, we are thrilled to serve nearly 30 children this year. The selected children will receive cash to shop for holiday gifts for their families at Walmart in Glenwood. Core Transit will transport the children, their gifts, and their new first responder friends to the El Jebel Community Center for an evening of gift wrapping, dinner, and a surprise visit from Santa. Each child will also receive a full holiday meal basket and goodies to take home to their families.

If your family or local business is interested in donating, please reach out to the representative nearest to your area from the list below by December 12, 2024.   

Eagle County Sheriff’s Office: Detective Thomas Wright at 970-376-7024

Basalt Police Department: Officer Aaron Munch at 970-456-8309

Roaring Fork Fire Rescue:https://www.roaringforkfire.gov/donate

Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office: Deputy Rachel Maxfield at Rachel.Maxfield@pitkinsheriff.com

Aspen Police Department: Administrative Commander Linda Consuegra at Linda.Consuegra@aspen.gov

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our community and the numerous businesses for their support in helping local first responders build positive relationships with youth and bring holiday cheer to our neighbors.