Christmas comes early for nearly 100 kids thanks to Shop with a Hero event | News, Sports, Jobs

Santa Claus greets Bonneville High School students on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at the Riverdale Walmart as part of the Shop with a Hero event. Some 90 kids picked out presents as part of the annual initiative. Bonneville High School students helped raise funds for the effort.

Santa Claus greets Bonneville High School students on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at the Riverdale Walmart as part of the Shop with a Hero event. Some 90 kids picked out presents as part of the annual initiative. Bonneville High School students helped raise funds for the effort.

Tim Vandenack, Standard Examiner

Santa Claus greets Bonneville High School students on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at the Riverdale Walmart as part of the Shop with a Hero event. Some 90 kids picked out presents as part of the annual initiative. Bonneville High School students helped raise funds for the effort.

RIVERDALE — Nearly 100 kids got a boost of Christmas cheer and an early glimpse of Santa Claus.

Representatives from several law enforcement agencies joined around 90 kids on Saturday as part of the annual Shop with a Hero event, helping the youngsters pick out presents in a bid to make sure they have a merry Christmas.

“The purpose of the event is to spread love, hope, joy and the Christmas spirit,” said Cpl. Jessica Jolley with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, which hosted the annual event.

The kids ate breakfast early Saturday morning with officers and reps from a range of law enforcement agencies and fire departments at Washington Heights Church, in the South Ogden area. They then traveled to the Riverdale Walmart where Santa Claus arrived, via helicopter, to greet them as they spread out through the store to select gifts.

“This is for the kids,” said Grayson Youngman, a senior at Bonneville High School. “We like to support our community because we believe the school and the community go hand in hand.”

Tim Vandenack, Standard Examiner

Santa Claus greets Bonneville High School students on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, at the Riverdale Walmart as part of the Shop with a Hero event. Some 90 kids picked out presents as part of the annual initiative. Bonneville High School students helped raise funds for the effort.

Santa waved to the crowd after stepping from the helicopter. He later listened to the Christmas wishes of the participating kids inside the store as BHS students sang Christmas songs.

The Bonneville High School Student Government leads fundraising efforts to generate the money the kids use to buy presents. Youngman, one of the student government members, said the student efforts yielded around $18,000.

Officials from the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and groups like the Christmas Box House, which helps kids in abusive situations, helped select the kids who took part in Saturday’s activities. The effort is geared to children who may otherwise face limited prospects for a cheery Christmas due to financial considerations and other factors.

Sometimes families have to sacrifice Christmas for their kids and pay bills. That’s where we step in,” said Youngman, joined by several other Bonneville High School students.

Jolley said each of the kids taking part can spend $150 and, sadly, sometimes a portion of the money is used on necessities like coats and winter boots. “But the money allows them to enjoy a holiday that they wouldn’t otherwise get to experience,” she said.

The Utah Police Civilian Association and Walmart also helped fund Saturday’s initiative. Reps from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office, the Weber Fire District, the Roy police and fire departments, the Riverdale Police Department, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, the US Forest Service and the Utah Department of Corrections’ Adult Probation and Parole participated in the event .

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