ROCKINGHAM — Sgt. Marcus Ricks rushed down the main aisle of Walmart early Friday afternoon.
He wasn’t chasing down a shoplifter.
Ricks was pushing a cart with 9-year-old Zayvion Pitts toward the toy section of the retail store at the start of the Rockingham Police Department’s 11th annual Shop with a Cop event.
Zayvion was one of 15 children from Washington Street and L.J. Bell elementaries to participate in the program this year, according to Detective Jan Owens, who started the program in 2012.
This was the first year students from Washington Street were part of the program, Owens said.
Each child had $300 to spend on their choice of toys, clothes or whatever else they wanted for Christmas.
“We’re a small department, so we try to keep it small,” Owens said. “We want to be able to help them as much as we can.”
Owens was paired up with a set of sisters, who filled a cart full of “girly stuff.”
Zayvion, a wrestling fan, picked out a few action figures — including one of C.M. Punk — as well as shoes, jeans and other clothes. He also selected a necklace and set of earrings for his mother.
Three of the kids decided to get bicycles, including 9-year-old Dante Eadie, who was shopping with Assistant Chief Maj. Richard Greene. However, to afford the bike, he had to put back several boxes of Legos.
The department thanked all those who donated in a Facebook post Friday evening. The program received $5,400 from the fourth annual Back the Blue Ride, as did the Laurinburg Police Department and the sheriffs’ offices in Richmond and Scotland counties.
Click here to read about the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Shop with a Deputy trip last week.
