A Kennett Square resident had just pulled into the Walmart parking lot on Route 1 in East Marlborough Township on Saturday, Dec. 5, when she heard the blare of sirens and saw dozens of flashing lights.
Given recent events, Jean Griffith said the caravan of emergency vehicles gave her pause. “I was afraid to get out of my car at first,” she said. But then she watched as more than 100 gleeful children exited two school buses. It was quite clear something positive was occurring, she said.
Griffith said she had come to Walmart to purchase holiday gifts for a “Giving Tree” exchange at Kendal-Crosslands, where she resides. When she realized that she had witnessed a segment of the “Second Annual Shop with the Sheriff,” she was delighted. “It just warms your heart,” she said of the outreach.
Giddy with enthusiasm, more than 110 children from the Chester County Family Academy, a K-2 charter school in West Chester, spilled into the Walmart, where staff and customers quickly shared the excitement. Lance Ransom, Walmart’s manager, said that after the inaugural event last year, the positive reception it received made repeating it a given.
“Customers were talking about it for days,” Ransom said, adding that one woman told him “it made her Christmas.” He said his employees also loved the experience, and he credited the Sheriff’s Office with superb organization. “They did just such a great job of setting everything up; we really didn’t have to do much more” than enjoy the results, he said.
Chester County Sheriff Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh, a board member of the Chester County Family Academy, said the event got its genesis in Coatesville. There, Welsh and a group of her deputies participated for years in “Shop with a Cop,” which provides underprivileged children with money to buy holiday gifts — and a member of law-enforcement to serve as personal shoppers.
After Welsh mused aloud about emulating the program for the charter school, she got lots of encouragement, especially from Deputy Sheriff Harry McKinney and Lee DiMattia, the office’s bookkeeper, who also helps with outside events. Both said the success of last year’s program made planning for this year’s event even more special, a process that began in June.
“A lot of work and a lot of people were involved to pull this off,” McKinney said.
The 2014 program served 90 children, McKinney said. Due to increased enrollment, the 2015 version supplied 112 children with $100 to spend on gifts as well as the event’s other accouterments: commemorative t-shirts, snacks, lunch, and photos with Santa.
DiMattia estimated the number of volunteers at about 100. Half of them, including about 25 deputy sheriffs, had duties at the Walmart, while the other half, a mix of representatives from the Rotary, Scouts, and church groups, demonstrated their gift-wrapping prowess at Providence Church in West Chester, which served as the starting and end point for the day’s festivities.
Once the students arrived at Walmart, they assembled in a room filled with activities, such as movies and coloring books, to await their turns shopping with a deputy or the sheriff herself. Students came to the event with a list of gift ideas for family members. Practical choices such as pajamas, slippers, blankets, scarves and gloves dominated the lists. If money was left over, students were encouraged to pick out a little something for themselves.
Deputy Sheriff Ryan Barr said one of his girls only had two items listed: a vacuum cleaner and a humidifier, which consumed her entire budget. “She was a sweetheart,” Barr said. “There was no way we were leaving without something extra for her.” He asked her what she liked and learned that Play-Doh was one of her favorites, and so they headed to the toy aisle to get some, he said.
As shopping carts crisscrossed the aisles, the scene produced a revolving sea of blue and yellow, since the students were all wearing sunny Shop with the Sheriff shirts. Some of the younger students opted to ride in the carts while the older ones preferred to do their own navigating.
“You’re a much better driver than the one I had before,” Chief Deputy Sheriff George P. March told his new shopper. “We haven’t had any collisions yet.”
March said he was particularly touched by one young girl who had some money left over, picked out a doll stroller for herself, and then had a change of heart and wanted to continue shopping. March said she put the stroller back and then explained the reason: “I have a cousin who needs something more than I do.”
Welsh said one young boy spotted a bracelet that he thought his mother would love, but he couldn’t decide between the silver and the gold version. He asked Welsh if it was possible to get both. “I looked at the price tag, which was $3 each, and told him yes,” Welsh said. “He responded by exclaiming: ‘Oh, my mom will be so, so happy!’”
Cpl. Janis Pickell said she had been thrilled to learn that one young girl from last year had asked to be paired with her again. “I was really looking forward to that,” Pickell said. However, the girl was unable to attend. Disappointed but undaunted, Pickell grabbed the girl’s list and made choices she hoped would pass muster.
Once the gifts were selected, the shopping teams headed to designated cash registers, where another posse of volunteers went to work, writing the recipients’ names on the gifts, loading them into large bags with the students’ names, and transporting them to the gift-wrapping station set up at the church.
For many of the volunteers, the event represents a multi-generational family outing. Kathy Potts, a mother of four and grandmother of 10, said she retired from teaching 15 years ago but wasn’t ready to sever all ties to the profession and started volunteering at the school.
Members of the Potts clan in attendance included Tommy Potts, whom DiMattia labeled “one of my best volunteers,” and Ellie Potts, a third-grader at Pocopson Elementary who traveled with Welsh in the siren-wailing caravan. The 8-year-old reveled in the reactions of bystanders. “Three people over there were holding their Starbucks cups and probably saying ‘What the heck is happening here,’” she suggested.
Steve Mandell, a Krapf bus driver, also appreciated the entourage. “It’s not every day that you get to run red lights,” he said with a smile. He said he requested the assignment this year after enjoying himself last year. “It’s great for these kids,” he said.
Pat Hennessy, who serves as the school’s solicitor, not only brought her sons Justin, 17, and Scott, 13, but she also added Nancy McGovern and her 16-year-old son Liam to the volunteer rolls. McGovern said she was glad that she did. “This is just a wonderful event,” McGovern said as she watched her son assist with the bagging operations at the cash registers.
The volunteers also included Alex Collins, the 10-year-old West Chester boy who gained national publicity after he wrote a heart-tugging entry for a contest he thought Welsh was sponsoring. To his dismay, he learned that the sheriff offering a hunting trip was from South Carolina. But because Welsh happened to know her southern counterpart, the boy got his wish – as well as lasting bonds with both sheriffs and their families.
For onlookers, it was sometimes difficult to tell whether the adults or the youngsters were having more fun.
Steve Jennings, a music teacher at Pocopson Elementary who happened to be in Walmart Saturday morning, said he particularly enjoyed the positive interaction between the deputies and the students, several of whom were wearing the deputies’ hats. “It’s a pleasure to watch,” Jennings said.
Doug and Jill Taylor, Pennsbury Township residents who own a real-estate business, were returning for their second year. Doug Taylor explained that they routinely shoot video at community events so that out-of-town home-shoppers can get a sense of “the heartbeat of the county.” He said last year’s footage from Shop with the Sheriff had proven particularly popular.
Jill Taylor said she had been shopping the night before in Exton and spotted one of the Shop with a Sheriff t-shirts on a young girl, who had participated last year and was really looking forward to repeating the experience. “That certainly wasn’t something I expected to see,” she said, adding that the event deserves far-reaching recognition.
Following the shopping expedition, the children returned to the Providence Church where volunteers continued their mad rush to get all of the gifts wrapped and labeled. The students presented some gifts, too, including an original song for the occasion, and they got an opportunity to visit with Santa.
Susan Flynn, the academy’s chief executive officer, said she was overcome with gratitude to Welsh, McKinney and the many others who made the day a success. “We thank you for believing in us and our mission,” she said, explaining that it’s hard to describe the immeasurable, indelible joy the event generates.
The public charter school was founded in 1997 to carry out the vision of local philanthropists Dick and Sheila Sanford “to make a difference in the lives of children.” Flynn said most of the families, for whom English is a second language, struggle financially but share a strong commitment to the importance of education.
McKinney credited sponsors such as Krapf Bus Companies, Wawa, Walmart, Otto’s BMW, Jimmy John’s, Herr’s, McDonald’s, Bryn Mawr Trust, America’s Pie, and attorney Bob Frame, for enabling the sheriffs to provide the children with holiday magic.
DiMattia said one customer was so impressed with what was happening that she handed her $25 to put toward the cause. DiMattia said she asked for the woman’s name so they could send her a thank-you note and was told that wasn’t necessary.
“She said that seeing the kids like this was wonderful,” DiMattia said. “That’s why we do this. It gives you the real meaning of Christmas.”
To watch a video complied by one of the Chester County Family Academy teachers, click here.
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