VALDOSTA – Shop with a cop started a over ten years ago.

“We take in donations to be able to provide a nice Christmas for underprivileged children,” commented Lt. Adam Bembry from the Valdosta Police Department. “We have one night where each child has a certain amount of money to spend at Walmart and has an officer assist them through the store picking out whatever they want. We also have a pizza party for them at the end of the evening.”

They have had tremendous local support from businesses and many private individuals.

“When we started the program we were only able to afford a small number of children,” Bembry added, “but with the increased effort by the local community, that number has increased many times.”

The Georgia Theater Company continues to be a loyal and valuable asset to the annual “Shop with a Cop” charity program. Recently, the theater held a specific day where a portion of the proceeds were to be donated to Shop with a Cop. The General Manager for the theater, Mr. Jim Cody presented community officer, Randall Hancock, with a check on Tuesday October 23, 2018 at 2pm at our local movie theater (1680 Baytree Road) for $6,400. The money came from the Cinema for a Cause event held on Sunday, September 23, 2018. One hundred percent of all admission tickets and concession purchases were donated to local charity groups like Shop with a Cop.

“Some of the more touching moments I can recall is when a child bought shoes and a jacket for his sibling, instead of toys,” Bembry reflected.