Shop with cop brightens kids’ holiday
December 11th, 2008 by Ana X. CeronPORT ST. LUCIE — Corine Rush surprised her kids when she pulled her red pickup into the Walmart parking lot on Wednesday.
Turned out Christmas had arrived a little early this year.
Helen Rush, 17, of Port St. Lucie hugs Sgt. Rod Dobler of the Port St. Lucie Police Department. Dobler helped pay the extra balance of Rush and her brothers' gift charges.
Rush’s three children were part of a group of about 20 kids who got the chance to shop for gifts, thanks to Port St. Lucie police and the retail giant.
As part of Wednesday’s Shop With a Cop, Walmart provided each child with a $100 gift certificate and police officers offered some company as the kids walked the department store wide-eyed.
To participate, parents had to fill out an application with the department’s volunteer group, Operation Blue Angels, explaining why their kids deserved the special trip.
Rush, 48, wrote about how kidney failure has kept her out of work since last year. The Port St. Lucie single mother didn’t expect much of a Christmas for her 17-year-old daughter, Helen, and her two sons, Garrett, 16, and Michael, 7.
Then her application was accepted.
Armed with shiny plastic gift certificates and their own police escort, school resource officer Steve Brown, the kids picked out their own gifts to put under the tree.
Helen scored a digital camera. Garrett got the iPod he’s always wanted — in blue, his favorite color.
And it was Michael who made the group’s first stop: in the video game aisle.
“This is a popular spot,” an officer mused as another boy about Michael’s age led him to the glass-enclosed shelves.
But the biggest attraction ended up being the toy section.
It wasn’t the kind of traffic jam they’re typically called to, but officers dressed in their uniforms dutifully braved the crowds as little ones pored over dolls and board games.
Before the outing, Helen Rush said she had expected a pretty simple holiday this year.
It was going to be “bad but still good because we still had each other,” she said.
Things turned out so well, though, that her mother’s eyes welled up.
“I was glad they were going to get something for Christmas,” she said of her children.
Then the tears hushed her voice to nearly a whisper. “And, um, I really appreciate it.”
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December 11th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
My eyes teared up as I read what PSL Sgt. Dobler did for those children. There are so many good officer’s and I am glad that TCPalm decided to share this story with all of us. When officer’s continually put their lives on the line to a job that almost seems very thankless, I for one appreciate all that our Law Enforcement Officer’s do to protect us and to keep us safe.
Thank you PSL Police Dept and the PSL Sheriff’s Office for all you do!
An Appreciative Citizen of PSL!