By Austin Beamer

The shop with a cop program has been going on in Stow for the past few years. Officer Barry Smith has been participating in the program. The cops around Stow work hard to raise money for the children of Stow who are unable to buy gifts for their friends and family.

“It is a great opportunity for the kids who do not have the ability to go out and get gifts for their family,”Smith said.

The children who participate are not chosen at random. Throughout the year, teachers and principals submit the names of children they believe deserve should participate. From that list of names, certain children are chosen. Once selected, they are paired with an officer from Stow. Each child is given between $100 and $120. The money is raised by the cops themselves and then split so each kid has around the same amount.

On the day of shopping, the children all meet at a Stow public school for breakfast. This year, the students will come to the high school to eat all that they want before buying their gifts. After the breakfast, the students ride in the cop cars with their assigned cop and are ready to go. The cops drive them to Walmart. While there, they work with the children to find great gifts for their friends and family. The program is a great way to help those in need and get in contact with the community.