Police officers filled the Target store on Chenal Parkway in Little Rock as they partnered up with kids Saturday to pick out Christmas gifts.
Some of the officers wore capes, others wore reindeer antlers or draped Christmas lights over their uniforms. Each officer paired up with a child who was between the ages of 6 and 12, and was given a $100 gift card to buy that child Christmas presents.
The Heroes and Helpers event, a partnership between Target and police departments across the U.S., has been pairing up police officers and firefighters with needy children for 10 years. Little Rock officer Eric Barnes said the program allows police officers to interact with members of the community in positive ways and to give children better Christmases.
"It's a good opportunity to get to know the kids on a lighter note," Barnes said. "And it lets you know the need of the community. You have kids that want clothes when they should want toys."
More than 60 officers perused video games, action figures, dolls and other toys for 78 children while volunteers from the department's victim-services unit wrapped the presents.
Target contributes about $1,800 to the event, but Barnes said much of the money for the children's presents was from donations. Officers, residents, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Black Police Officer Association raised $8,300. Barnes said one donor gave $5,000 anonymously.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch » https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBRh7k2Ebk0]
"They called and said, 'We don't want credit. We want to help,'" Barnes said.
Officer Clint Williams, a 13-year veteran of the department, said Saturday was his first time participating in the event. Williams and his young helper, Robert Blue, stacked a Nerf gun, a remote-controlled drone and other toys into a red shopping cart. Also in the cart was a brand-new Barbie doll.
"The first thing he picked out was a present for his little sister," Williams said, smiling widely.
Williams kept track of the gifts to make sure they didn't go over the $100 gift card amount, but Barnes said he knew officers would make sure the children got the gifts they wanted, even if that meant paying a little extra out of their own pockets.
Lt. Spurgeon Leavy and his helper, 7-year-old Jacoden McDowell, were on a mission for one thing Saturday: Spider-Man.
"I love Spider-Man," Jacoden said.
Leavy has been with the department for 16 years -- 17 years in February -- and Jacoden was the second child he got to escort.
"Well let's go find some Spider-Man," Leavy said.
[Gallery not loading above? Click here for more photos » arkansasonline.com/1215heroes/]
Jacoden got distracted. The Lego police airplane caught his eye first, then the matching helicopter. Both went in the basket. Jacoden said he'd never met a police officer before Saturday, and he was quickly piling toy after toy into the shopping cart.
He picked out a multicolored war hammer and a silver Christmas ornament with a paw on it before he got back to the Spider-Man mission. The last thing he picked out was a red-and-blue Spider-Man figurine.
"Can I hold the basket?" he asked when they'd maxed out their gift card. Leavy smiled and let him steer the cart.
When asked if Jacoden knew what he wanted to be when he grow up, the little boy's brow furrowed and he thought for a moment before he smiled again.
"A police officer," he said.
Metro on 12/15/2019