With the holiday season in full swing, police officers from various area departments are getting ready for the 20th year of their annual charity event, Shop with a Cop.

Since 1993, active and retired officers of local police departments have donated their time once a year to helping local families facing difficult financial times during the holiday season.

“Our officers volunteer their time to take kids shopping that morning,” said Cmdr. Geoff Huff, of the Ames Police Department. “The Boys and Girls Club has let us use their facility for quite a few years. It gives us a good place to meet in the morning and a good place to wrap the presents at the end, which is one of the things we like to do.”

This year’s edition of Shop with a Cop is scheduled to take place this Sunday, Dec. 8. 

The event is funded each year by donations from the public made to the Ames Police Benevolent Association. Many citizens of Ames as well as surrounding towns and counties began receiving brochure mailers back in early November with which they have provided the money that makes this event possible.

The association is currently comprised of more than 70 retired and active police officers from area departments, including Ames, Iowa State, Huxley, Nevada and Story County. Money raised by the association is commonly used to help fund local organizations such as the Special Olympics, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Rabiner Treatment Center and the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs.

The children and families are chosen by the association based on applications each family submits along with wish lists of any and all items they may need to purchase.

“When we see those needs that are coats and boots and stuff like that, we want to make sure [those in need] get those things,” Huff said.

The association’s goal is to raise the highest amount of funds possible in order to best help the children and families of Story County and its neighboring counties.

During the last four years, the association’s event has received “very consistent donations,” said Sgt. Christine Crippen, of Ames Police.

The families chosen are accompanied to Kmart by officers of various police departments.

The children and families then get to spend the morning with the volunteer officers, filling as many of their holiday shopping needs and wants as they are able to.

“We generally encourage [the families] to not only buy something for themselves, but also to look at the other members of their family so that they can try to get something for everybody,” Huff said.

Afterward, everyone returns to the Boys’ and Girls’ Club building to put the wrappings on their freshly purchased presents just in time for the holidays.

“When they leave that morning, they’ve got a bag full of wrapped presents to go under the tree; it’s a really good time,” Huff said.