Cape police officers help children with gifts

Cape Coral 10-year-old Arrissa Kubis was on a Christmas mission to find the perfect gift for her mother.

Equipped with an empty shopping cart and a Santa hat, she searched the jewelry section of the Walmart on Del Prado Boulevard looking for the perfect bauble.

Arrissa was one of the 35 children given opportunity to shop for free at the ninth annual Cape Coral Police Department’s Shop with a Cop event Thursday.

Arrissa’s eyes lit up when she found the perfect pair of earrings for her mom. She also picked up a sketchbook and a paint-by-numbers set to be placed under the tree for herself to open on Christmas day. She was accompanied by Cape Coral Police Chief Jay Murphy on her hour-long shopping spree.

“It was easy,” said Cape Coral Police Chief Jay Murphy, who was chaperoning her. “She knew what she wanted; she’s very pragmatic. I think we did it in record time.”

Each child roamed the aisles with an officer looking for toys and gifts, not just for themselves but also for their families. The department said 178 family members will be impacted by the gifts.

The morning started with officers picking up the children at their homes and taking them to breakfast at Perkins restaurant. After breakfast, the children received gift cards provided by Walmart and Capital Bank and were then free to roam the store with their officer. Murphy said most of the children don’t spend all the money on toys but instead focus on clothes, shoes or other necessities for their families.

“Quite often, most of these children stick to the basics,” he said.

For Arrissa, she said her favorite part of the shopping was buying for others, and she wasn’t alone. Eleven-year-old Payton Johns bought presents for her mother and grandmother.

“But first, I’m shopping for me,” she said, laughing, in the toy aisle.

Payton said the first thing she wanted to check off her list was Play-Doh.

The holiday shopping is as much fun for the officers as it is for the children.

“I try to do this every year I can,” said detective Alisha McDonald. “The kids are awesome, and I like being able to shop with them and help their families. I do it for them more than anything.”

Deputy Chief Bart Connelly shares the same sentiment.

“It’s a part of what we do as police officers. It’s giving,” Connelly said. “It’s helping others, who’re less fortunate, to have a good Christmas.”

After the shopping, the children went back to the police station to wrap their gifts and have a pizza party.

The children were scurrying around the wrapping room helping to pick out gift wrap for their family’s gifts. Murphy said what he likes most about the day is the transformation of the childrens’ demeanor.

“When they show up at eight in the morning you have to pry the words out of them. Now, they’re running around smiling,” he said.