Burbank police turn into holiday helpers during shopping spree with local youths

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A parade of carts roll out for the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank Police Detective Mike Macias tries to negotiate the checkout line with a couple skateboards held up as there wasn’t any more room on the conveyor belt at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Children on the first bus arrive for the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Members of the Burbank Police Department wait for three loads of children from the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank to arrive for the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Community Resource Officer Angela Burrows talks with the first group of children before they are matched with an officer for the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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McGruff, the Crime Dog, stands at the center of the start of police matched with children to begin shopping at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse, stands at the center of the commotion as Burbank police officers and the children they are match with begin to shop at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A group photo with Burbank Police and children from the Burbank Boys and Girls Club for the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The line of paid for carts with the children from the Burbank Boys and Girls Club and the Burbank Police officers they shopped with at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Burbank K-9 officer John Embeleton listens to Ella Barrale-Truong, 6, and her brother Aidan, 7, describe a gift, with Burbank Explorer Ariella Teranzian arranging gifts in their cart at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Detective Harry Terrill, starts to evaluate the prices of the toys in his cart placed by the children he is escorting Ollie McCann, 6, and Jayden Magana, 7, at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Mark Fedirko, 8, jumps out of the cart he is riding in after he sees something he is interested in showing Burbank Police Detective Chris Racina at the Burbank Police Department’s annual Heroes and Helpers event at the Empire Center Target on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. Thirty children from the local Boys and Girls Club partnered with Burbank Police officers, outfitted with Target gift cards, to Christmas shop at the store. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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By Andy Nguyen

Dec. 18, 2018 3:50 PM PT

Thirty young shoppers wound their way through the aisles in Target at the Empire Center last Wednesday night, filling carts with an eclectic range of items, from sweaters and lamps to furry jumpsuits and buckets of slime.

The children were there as part of the Burbank Police Department’s annual “Heroes and Helpers” event, which paired up the youths with an officer to go on a holiday shopping spree with a $200 store gift card.

Angela Burrows, an officer with the department’s community resource bureau and the event’s organizer, said the Boys and Girls Club of Burbank and Greater East Valley chose each child based on the financial needs of their family.

It was Lovie Sutton’s fifth year participating in the event and she came prepared with a list. Her cart was filled with items for family and friends, like a shirt for her mom, cookies for her dad and a onesie for a Secret Santa gift.

She also said the event has been a great way to have face-to-face interactions with police officers in a positive setting. Before her participation, Sutton found police officers “scary and intimidating,” she said.

“It’s really important to talk to cops and realize they’re not all bad,” Sutton said. “It’s great to see the people who protect us every day.”

Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse praised the community support that makes the “Heroes and Helpers” event possible year after year.

In addition to the gift cards from Target, the Hilton Garden Inn provided a post-shopping holiday meal, followed by desserts donated by Porto’s. The youths and their families were also provided with gift and food baskets donated by the Kiwanis and Rotary clubs, the Burbank Town Center and local resident Lisa Komorowski.

“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to the community support,” LaChasse said. “The service clubs, the companies … giving with their hearts and giving financially, it is good stuff.”