Laramie County Kids Get Chance to ‘Shop With a Cop’ for Christmas 

Local law enforcement agencies are once again partnering with Laramie County schools to make Christmas a little brighter for kids in need.

According to Wyoming Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeremy Beck, 31 elementary students will be picked up from school tomorrow, Dec. 16, in a marked police car and taken to the Walmart on Livington Avenue in Cheyenne where they'll get to "Shop with a Cop."

"The staff in each elementary school in Laramie County select the children because they know their needs and stories in their respective buildings," Beck said in a news release.

Beck says those chosen will be given $100 to spend on whatever they choose.

"The children are also provided a complete Christmas meal to take home to their families," he said.

Started by the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association in 2015, Beck says the idea of the Laramie County Shop with a Cop program is to have law enforcement officers shop with kids to build trust with them while helping families in need.

"Shop with a Cop or similar charitable giving events are happening in almost every community in the state throughout the holiday season, thanks largely to the Wyoming Highway Patrol Association," said Beck.

"To make this financial giving possible, the WHPA, a registered non-profit organization, established an account for the event making the donations tax-deductible," he added.

Beck says any additional funds will go to the school districts to pay for school lunches for students who cannot afford to do so on their own.

"We hope a child will never have to miss lunch again for the rest of the school year," he said.