Christmas came early for 50 west Hawai‘i keiki during this year’s Shop With a Cop event in Kona. During the event, the Hawai‘i County Police Department teamed up with Catholic Charities, Kona Walmart, as well as federal and state law enforcement agencies to provide a fun shopping experience for keiki.

Shop With a Cop originated more than 30 years ago with the Hawaiʻi  County Police Department and Catholic Charities partnering with Kmart to provide at-risk and underprivileged youth an opportunity to buy gifts at Christmas. When the Kona Kmart closed, the event continued uninterrupted at Target until 2023, when Walmart started hosting the annual event..

Keiki were pre-selected by Catholic Charities and given $100 gift card to spend then paired with law enforcement officers. Some were shopping for themselves, while others were buying gifts for family members. After the shopping was complete, keiki were able to have their newly purchased gifts wrapped by volunteers and were treated to a McDonald’s Happy Meal breakfast. They also got to visit with Santa.

HPD Photo