Burbank youths get a holiday boost during shopping spree with police
A swarm of 30 children crowded the front of the Target store at the Empire Center in Burbank Wednesday night, excitedly showing off their recent purchases to each other.
The group, from the local Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and the Greater East Valley, had just finished a shopping spree with the Burbank Police Department as part of its annual “Heroes and Helpers” event. Each child was paired up with an officer and given a $200 gift card to spend however they saw fit.
One child was pulling out a seemingly endless supply of fidget spinners, while another was gently petting a plush husky dog. But it wasn’t just all toys for the children.
Tyrese Navel had a blender in his cart.
“It’s a smoothie maker for my dad,” the 11-year-old said.
“What’s really great is to see how the kids … rather than shopping for themselves, they’re shopping for their family or some other people who are significant in their lives,” Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse said.
Angela Burrows, an officer with the department’s community resource bureau, said the shopping spree is a two-month endeavor, ranging from choosing which child will participate and coordinating with Target. All of the children come from low-income backgrounds this year.
Unique for this year was the higher amount the children got to spend. Previously, they received $100 gift cards.
The event is sponsored, in part, by Target and several organizations and businesses, including the Burbank Noon Rotary Club and Community Bank.
Sunny Singer, a Rotary Club member and volunteer with the police department, said it’s a joy to volunteer at the event every year and interact with the children.
“I don’t have grandkids, so this is wonderful,” she said.
It was Mylee Ruiz’s third year participating in the shopping spree and her cart was a hodgepodge of different items. There were cake mix and cookies for her stepfather, chocolate for her grandmother as well as paint canvases and long-sleeved clothing for herself.
“It’s awesome,” Ruiz said. “I like the cops. They serve our community and protect our city.”
While the 10-year-old is a veteran of the shopping spree, it was Police Officer Karissa Peltier’s first year helping. She said she jumped at the chance to participate as soon as she could.
“I’m from Burbank. We grew up using the Temporary Aid Center every holiday season,” she said. “The minute I could do this stuff … I want to do as much as I can for community outreach.”
Twitter: @Andy_Truc
