By Julia Zaher
Flint Journal
Copyright 2007 Flint Journal
MUNDY TWP., Mich. — How fast can 15 children finish their Christmas shopping? Pretty fast when they have a $100 Meijer gift card in hand and a police officer guiding the shopping cart.
For the eighth year, the Meijer store at 2474 W. Hill Road partnered with Mundy Township police to coordinate “Shop with a Hero.” Elementary school students were paired with emergency medical personnel, firefighters, police officers from Mundy and Grand Blanc Townships and members of Mundy Township’s police volunteers to shop for family, friends and even themselves.
In addition to gifts for his family and breath mints for his dog, one boy bought a Superman doll to donate to Toys for Tots.
Area schools recommend families for the program for a variety of reasons.
Meijer donated the gift cards. Mundy Township’s police volunteers and the Grand Blanc Optimist Club collected money to provide Christmas dinner for each family.
Michael Pobocik, 9, of Grand Blanc headed straight to the Pokemon aisle with his hero, Grand Blanc Township police Officer Tim Bueche. His two brothers took off in other directions with their shopping partners.
“I appreciate all of this,” said the boys’ mom, Tracie Pobocik of Burton. “They’re so excited. They love police officers, love all of this.”
Turns out police, firefighters and paramedics feel the same way.
“They love it. Every one of them love it,” said Mundy Township Community Policing Officer Ron O’Neil, who coordinated the event.
Part of the hero’s job is to keep their little shoppers on budget. That was challenging for Mundy Township police Officer Christine Kandal, who shopped with Angel Bates, 5, of Swartz Creek, who wanted to fill her cart with stuffed animals. Instead she got a Barbie with a horse for herself and gifts for her parents and five brothers and sisters.
Rocky’s Pizza of Mundy Township provided pizza for the shoppers. Santa arrived to hand out candy and hear Christmas wishes.
“It gives them a positive experience (to shop with police),” said Meijer store director Jeff Collet.
Although 7-year-old Nick Stevens of Mundy Township may have had a slight letdown.
“He wanted to go with the first chief, not the second chief,” Mundy Township Deputy Police Chief Tom Melrose said laughing.
In the end, the “second chief” did just fine.