Shop With A Hero Event Brings Christmas Cheer To Kids

Christmas came early for some children in Dalton and for some police officers and firefighters as well. 

The annual Shop With A Hero event brought together police officers and firefighters from Dalton's public safety agencies with 20 children selected by Dalton Public Schools staff for a shopping expedition through Walmart. The kids were able to pick out Christmas gifts with the help of their cop or firefighter partner. The DPD and DFD raised money for the event throughout the year. 

The highlight of the day, of course, was getting to meet Santa Claus. His trusty reindeer were resting up for their big trip on Thursday night, of course, so instead of arriving by sleigh he instead rolled up on his second favorite mode of transportation: his motorcycle. Naturally, St. Nick got a police escort to the store. After meeting Santa, the kids all took off through the store on Saturday morning with an officer or firefighter keeping track of their funds. Every year, officers and firefighters report back that their shoppers spent nearly as much time looking for gifts for family members as they did for themselves. 

This event wouldn't be possible without the generous donations from members of our community including numerous local businesses. Both the Dalton Police Department and Dalton Fire Department are truly thankful for the support. 

Below: Scenes from Shop With A Hero 2021