St. Mary's County, MD (December 19, 2023) - The 20th annual Shop With a Cop event in St. Mary's County, held on Saturday, December 9th, 2023, proved to be a heartwarming success, thanks to the dedication of volunteers, sponsors, and law enforcement partners. This cherished community tradition brought holiday joy to 104 children who were each provided with $225 to spend on Christmas presents.
The day's festivities included a delightful breakfast buffet, a captivating musical puppet show, gift wrapping for all presents, and a memorable ride in agency vehicles with their law enforcement companions to and from the day's activities.
A total of 90 law enforcement volunteers from multiple agencies and organizations contributed their time to create a memorable experience for the children. Thank you to:
· Fraternal Order of Police - St. Mary's County, MD Lodge 7
· Maryland Department of Natural Resources - Natural Resources Police
· Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack
· Naval Criminal Investigative Service
· Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal
· Optimist Clubs of St. Mary's County
· Patuxent River Police Department
· PG Park Police
· Shop with a Cop - St. Mary's County Board Members
· St. Mary's College of Maryland Office of Public Safety
· St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office
· St. Mary's County State's Attorney's Office
· U.S. Coast Guard
The Shop with a Cop program expresses its deepest gratitude to all the volunteers for their hard work in preparing and serving breakfast and wrapping gifts, and to everyone who generously donated to make the event possible.
A special recognition is extended to The Honorable Joseph Stanalonis, whose vision initiated this wonderful program in St. Mary's County 20 years ago when he was the president of the 7th District Optimist Club and enlisted the help of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 7. Although Judge Stanalonis can't be a part of the organization, he continues to support the program. Because of Joe, thousands of children in St. Mary's County have benefited from his hard work.
As the holiday season approaches, Shop with a Cop - St. Mary's County wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
For those interested in supporting Shop with a Cop - St. Mary's County, tax-deductible donations can be made by mailing a check to:
Shop With a Cop - St. Mary's County
P.O. Box 2336
Leonardtown, MD 20650
Or
Donate on Venmo at @SMC-SWAC
