It’s the time of year where the Stuart Police Department takes youths from the area to work on some Christmas shopping.

Sergeant Katie Guisinger says that tomorrow is the department’s Shop with a Cop event, where she and other local law enforcement officers will take children to the Target on Mills Civic Parkway in Des Moines to do Christmas shopping for themselves and their immediate family members. She explains that this year she is able to take 14 students from the West Central Valley School District, and tells Raccoon Valley Radio the reason they are able to do so is because of all the support of the community.

“The reason we’re able to take 14 students at an average of, you know, $250 to $300 this year, just based on their family size, is because of that continued support, you know, when we’re doing fundraisers at the stop sign or we’re doing our community spaghetti supper.”

Guisinger mentions that thanks to the donation from 10 Squared Women, they were really able to step things up this year. She adds that once they are finished shopping, they will take the children to Pizza Ranch in Waukee to eat lunch, then travel back to Stuart where they will help the children wrap everything they bought at the Stuart Fire Department.