Walmart crawling with happy cops Saturday morning (14 photos)

It’s an early Saturday morning, and Sault Police Cnst. Sonny Spina is pushing seven-year-old Austin Abernot in a shopping cart through the toy section at the Walmart on Great Northern Road.

The energy in the air is infectious, as Abernot - along with 24 other kids - are working on fulfilling their Christmas lists as part of the annual Cops and Kids Shopping Day in Sault Ste. Marie.

“This is my favourite day of the year by far,” Spina said. “I love coming to this event every year. I look forward to it for months before it actually happens. I love seeing the smiles on these kids’ faces, especially when we take them out and they’re told the first rule is that they have to get something for themselves.”

Each child has a tab of about $100 each to go shopping in Walmart before being given an escort - via police convoy - to Gliss Restaurant downtown, where children have what they’ve purchased wrapped up by a crew of volunteers. The group of children then have breakfast with police and enforcement officers.

The event was first introduced to Sault Ste. Marie over 10 years ago by Sault Police Cnst. Fred Brown, who was inspired by a similar program in Sault, Mich. He said the initiative on the Canadian side started with an anonymous donation of $1,400. The shopping day now boasts donations and support from many local businesses and organizations.

“Eleven years later we do 25 children every year, and we’ve raised $30,000, and all the money raised goes directly back into the program and to the kids,” Brown said.

As Spina looks into the shopping cart - containing a young boy and a bunch of gifts - he says that watching the kids’ reaction is his favourite part of the event.

“They kind of light up and you know, you see their minds racing. They usually grab us by the hand and run us right to this toy section here. They've always got something in mind, and I’m just happy we could do something for them.”