Shop with a Cop: COVID-19 style

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Their jobs are to protect and serve. Police officers and firefighters put their lives on the line daily, but on this day, the biggest emergency was picking out the perfect toy for the perfect kid. Alaska’s News Source photojournalist Mike Nederbrock tagged along for this year’s “Shop with a Cop,” COVID-19 style.

“It’s different, not having the kiddos with us to shop, but it’s pretty cool because we actually get to shop for them and opposed to year’s past, we’re trying to get them to shop for themselves and they often want to shop for family, so it’s pretty cool to be thinking about how they’re going to be opening these presents and have surprises, that’s something different this year,” said senior patrol officer with Anchorage Police Department, Angelina Fraize.

She along with her fellow officer and firefighters from Anchorage Fire Department Station 8 went up and down the aisles of Fred Meyer picking out toys for kids.

“This is great. It’s a little different this year, obviously with the COVID situation going on but every year, we’ve been I believe this is now in its 21st year that we’ve been doing this every year in partnership with APDEA and Anchorage firefighters. We reach out to the shelters in town, the school district, etc. to identify kids in need during the Christmas season and a lot of these families are struggling and it’s just nice to be able to go out and fulfill a kid’s Christmas wish list and let them have the Christmas that they deserve and get to enjoy,” said Station 8 Firefighter Adam Peterson.

Each kid was given $125 to spend and the number has grown over the years with this year being 65 kids.

“It does make us feel really good to be out here doing something and being able to give back, we just hope that that spreads, that everyone in the community is not just thankful this year, but actually takes it one step further and gives back to someone in need because it’s a tough year for a lot of Anchorage community and so each of us can feel thankful, but we got to take it that extra step and give back to others,” said Fraize.

Shop with a Cop honors Lisa Whitmore, an Anchorage police officer who lost her battle to breast cancer in March 2019. The event is now renamed in her honor.

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