Christmas came early for more than two hundred area children this morning.
The 31st Annual Cops and Kids Project took over the Central Park Target with members of law enforcement providing a Christmas shopping event for kids in need as nominated by their school counselors.
Each child was matched with an officer or deputy to browse the store and pick out Christmas gifts for themselves. The $125.00 budget per child was provided by the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #15, their members in addition to donations from the community.
The event included officers from the Fredericksburg Police Department, deputies from the Fredericksburg Sheriff’s Office as well as those from Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline, King George counties. They were joined by Virginia State Troopers as well as members of other various local, state and federal agencies. All volunteered their day off (in uniform) to assist.
Members from the Fredericksburg Christian School Honor Band were also present to provide Christmas music.
Since its inception, the Cops and Kids Project (formerly known as the Richard L. Parsons Memorial Shop with a Cop Project) has provided a Christmas to nearly 5,000 children.
