Saturday, December 20, 1997 was a day over 250 Indiana children will
probably never forget. On that day, they met with Indiana State Police
officers to shop for their choice of new clothing and toys. This statewide
Shop-With-A-Cop Program, the first sponsored by the Indiana Troopers
Association, took place at 10:00 a.m. at strategically located Indiana
Wal-Mart stores.
The Indiana Troopers Association sponsored the event in an effort to make the holidays a little brighter for families who were having a difficult time making ends meet this holiday season.
A randomly selected elementary school from each county was asked to submit the name of a family to participate in this program. Indiana State Police Superintendent Melvin Carraway assigned Indiana State Police troopers from each district to meet with the children and their parents at designated Wal-Mart locations. Wal-Mart Corporate offices assisted with the program by assigning employees at each selected location to help with the shopping trip.
Children from each family were given $200 in Wal-Mart gift certificates, to be equally divided between new clothing and toys of their choice. Each county was represented in the program on the designated shopping date, as the Indiana Troopers Association again lends a helping hand to Indiana's future - our children.