The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office recently held an annual tradition to help make the holiday season brighter for local kids and families.

The Shop with a Cop event took place last Saturday at the Jordan Creek Wal-Mart, bringing law enforcement and kids together for a shopping spree. The yearly event is organized by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Benevolent Association, and this year they had 34 officers shop with 43 kids. The law enforcement represented included Deputies and Reserve Deputies from the Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrolmen, Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement officers, and the Urbandale, Granger, and West Des Moines police departments.

The Benevolent Association said they raised over $5,000 for this year’s event through donations and various fundraisers. The purpose of Shop with a Cop is twofold. First, to give children an opportunity to meet police officers and learn that they’re people they can trust. Second, to give the underprivileged children in the area a happier holiday. On both accounts, the Sheriff’s Office believed this year’s event was a big success.