BROOKINGS One of the best parts of Christmas is watching childrens delight as they open presents from family and friends but, unfortunately, such experiences arent guaranteed.
Thats where Christmas, Kids and Cops comes into the picture. The program helps 36 Brookings-area children every year realize a memorable Christmas through local fundraising that produces $350 in shopping money for use at Walmart, a food basket, gift cards for Buffalo Wild Wings, Pizza Ranch and Brookings Cinema 8 and a Subway meal.
The program is 100 percent fully funded through donations from the community, Brookings County Sheriffs Office Deputy Jeremy Kriese said in an interview with the Brookings Register. All the donations received go directly to these families in Brookings County, to kids in our school districts and kids in our communities and their families.
The Brookings, Elkton, Sioux Valley, Deubrook and Arlington school districts all take part in the program which is in its 16th year and Kriese is part of the team that plays an essential role each year. His partners are Brookings Police Department Lt. Joe Fishbaugher and Sandy McClemans, who is retired from the South Dakota Department of Labor.
HOW TO HELP
What:Christmas, Kids and Cops
When:5:30 p.m. Dec. 13
Where:Walmart, 2233 Sixth St., in Brookings
How to give:Donations can be dropped off at the Brookings Police Department, 307 Third Ave., or at the Brookings County Sheriffs Office, 315 Seventh Ave. Checks should be made out to Christmas, Kids and Cops.
Whos taking part:Brookings Police Department, sheriffs offices from Brookings, Deuel and Kingsbury counties, South Dakota Highway Patrol, University Police Department and South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Corrections officers and dispatchers are also taking part.
For this year, fundraising is going pretty well, Kriese said, noting that last years event cost an estimated $28,000. Its a little less than previous years but, still, going good.
Donations need not be earth-shattering, either.
When we say donations, a lot of the time when people hear that, theyre thinking $500, Fishbaugher said. If everybody sent in $20, thats more than enough to help these families. It doesnt have to be these huge donations. Instead of going to your fast-food thing at the end of the day take that money and write out a check and send it to these kids. We get enough people sending in $20 here and there, were set. Its not a big hole in somebodys bank account, either.
Visible impact
Helping Christmas, Kids and Cops makes a real difference in peoples lives, no matter the dollar amount. Dont believe that? Then read on.
I remember it was a while ago, probably five, six years ago I had a young girl I was shopping with, Kriese said. She was filling her cart and going about that Oh, this would be perfect for my Mom, this would be perfect for my brother, this would be perfect for my grandma.
We got to the end and Im like, Well, you havent picked out anything for you. She stopped for a moment and I remember her eyes getting big and shes like, I didnt get anything for myself, did I? Im like, No. You better go get something, he recalled. She didnt even think about herself. She thought about everybody else and what she could get for them.
McClemans shared a similar experience of putting others first.
Whether its a big bag of dog food or I think weve seen kids buy microwaves and vacuums and things that arent really toys theyre kind of thinking of other people or theyre looking at, I need to get this for grandma and this for grandpa, she said. It might be a real small thing, but they kind of share that same thought process of What can I do to help other people?
The effect is also profound for law enforcers accompanying the children and their families while theyre shopping and dining afterward.
Theres a lot, and not only the families or the kids, but the reactions from the officers at the end when theyre done, Fishbaugher said. You can tell theyre like, Wow. We did something tonight.
He continued, Even the people at Walmart weve been doing it for almost 20-some years now people at Walmart are still like, Holy cow, look at this! This is amazing! They donate money right there to us because of the program. Lots of crying. Theres a lot of hugging going on.
This is what this about the entire community in some fashion coming together to help others. Thats what this is, Fishbaugher concluded.
Selection process
The referral and nomination process oftentimes provides a peek into lives of the children and their families what theyre going through with lifes curveballs, what their hopes are, etc.
To that point, Kriese told of one experience involving a single parent who had just moved into the school district and was trying to start a new life after escaping a situation involving domestic violence.
Sometimes people are a member of their family is out of a job, or they just had a death in the family (or) maybe theyre experiencing some kind of hardship, he said. Theres all different factors that go into it.
One child in particular has had a lasting effect on Fishbaugher.
I remember one boy and this was before Christmas that led me to involving his family in the program, he said. I spent a lot of time talking with him at the high school when I was working there he couldnt join the football team because his family couldnt afford shoes. So I went and bought him shoes and he got on the team and that led to Im going to put these guys on our Christmas list, too.
It was wintertime garb, or the lack thereof, that stood out for Kriese.
Some of the kids we see are kids that dont have snow boots or snow pants in the wintertime, he said. Some of them dont have coats or hats that they need, or need help getting school supplies all that factors in.
While all of the referrals go to Kriese, the final decision rests with school resource officers, counselors, principals, school administrators and teachers. Over the years, 560 youngsters and their families have benefited from Christmas, Kids and Cops.
We all have a part in picking these kids, Kriese said.
Fishbaugher added, Its kind of our job as law enforcement and human beings to help other people succeed, and thats part of the way to do that.
In the end, McClemans summed things up nicely.
We cant do it without (the community), she said. It takes everybody in the community to get it together.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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