‘Shop with a Cop’ is a fun event that brings the community with Police, Rotarians, students, Food Banks and Independent Grocer together to help local food banks leading up to the holiday Christmas season.
Two grade six students are chosen from each of the four Saugeen Shores elementary schools, G.C. Huston in Southampton and Port Elgin’s Saugeen Centre, Northport Public and St. Joe’s Catholic, to shop with a team of two ‘cops’ from the local Saugeen Shores Police Service.
This year, joint sponsorship by the three Rotary Clubs in Saugeen Shores meant that each team had $300 to spend on needed items for the Food Banks, but the idea was to not exceed the limit. The team that came closest to the $300 limit without going over was declared the winner and received $200 for their school library. Each team also received for their school participation $50 for a school project.
Prior to the shopping spree, the Salvation Army Food Bank advised the teams of its most needed items, that included canned vegetables, diapers, baby formula, peanut butter, cereal, soups, juices, toilet paper, sugar, flour and many other products,
The teams lined up anxiously in the store waiting for the official bell by Southampton Rotarian Dave Bertrand that signalled the race against the time allotment of 30 minutes.
At the end of the allotted time and in a close race, the winning team of led by Deputy Chief Jeremy Mighton was declared, defeating the two-year champion led team by Sgt. Ken Cook.
Port Elgin Rotary Club’s Erin Zorzi said that, “This not only supports the Food Banks but it brings the community together and teaches our youth to give back to the community, and also know that our Police are there for them.”
