By Nick Stasi
For almost three decades the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8 has hosted our annual Shop with a Cop event. We’ve never missed a year and we plan to keep the tradition alive this year the best we can. This event pairs local children in need with a law enforcement officer and together they go shopping at Walmart for clothing and toys that the child wouldn’t otherwise receive. We fully fund each year’s event through charitable donations from businesses and citizens like you.
Through generous donations we were able to support 175 children from La Plata and Archuleta counties last year.
This year the FOP Lodge 8 will again be hosting a one-day event in Durango and a one-day event in Pagosa Springs. We are currently seeking donations to make this year’s event a success and we need your support. This year your support is more important than ever. As you know, many families have been impacted by COVID-19 and lost income, which means they cannot provide for their family in this upcoming holiday season.
In addition, we lost a tremendous local resource when Project Merry Christmas closed their doors. This has left even more families and children in need in our region.
We will spend on average $150 per child, with approximately $100 of that going towards clothing and essential items and $50 on toys. We are asking you for your help in raising money for this program and making these families holidays a little brighter during these difficult times.
Donations will be accepted through the mail and no phone solicitations will be made. If you are interested in sending in a donation you can send it to the address below. If you know of anybody else who may also be interested in donating this year, please forward this information to them.
Donations can be mailed to:
Durango FOP Lodge 8
Shop with a Cop
P.O. Box 2172
Durango, CO 81302
We would like to publicly recognize our donors again this year as well. If you want to be listed on our website as a sponsor and have your website linked to ours please let us know when sending your donation. We will only list those who specifically ask to be listed.
We sincerely appreciate your support in helping local families and in helping to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. This event has been a tremendous success in the past and we are excited to continue this tradition again this year.
Nick Stasi is President, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 8