Christmas will be a bit brighter this year for a number of Calgary students thanks to a local mall and Calgary police.
27 children hit the shops at Marborough Mall on Wednesday, each with a police escort, to pick out presents from themselves and their families.
The ninth annual CopShop connects police officers with deserving youth for a special shopping trip and one of the goals is to encourage positive relationships between them.
Each child is given a $200 gift card and coupons to spend in the mall as well as a stocking filled with treats.
“It makes my day. The mall loves it. We love giving back to the community,” said Kim Wiltse, Marketing & Specialty Leasing Director, Marlborough Mall, “CopShop is a wonderful way to give back to the community, while making the holidays a bit brighter for well-deserving youth. We are thrilled to be a part of this holiday initiative.”
“This is an amazing program and so what we can do here is we can show the kids the relationship that we can build with them as well as it gives the opportunity to know that they’ve done some good and to be rewarded for it.” said CPS Constable CarlaMay Blght.
The children are from various schools in the area and were chosen based on their academic achievement, merit and volunteerism.
Haley Hosick is in Grade 9 and is using the money to shop for her little brother .
“It’s quite special and it means that I have done good in my life and in school, currently,” said Haley.
“I think it’s a really great program,” said Tong Akol. “Because students get to go shopping and things.”
“A lot of them don’t even buy stuff for themselves, they actually go and buy stuff for other people,” said Constable Blight.
The initiative was started in 2005, at a Halifax Shopping Centre, and is now held in 20 centres across the country.
(With files from Bill Marks)
