COLONIAL HEIGHTS – Veronica Thompson stood up and watched the kids with her, a 10-year-old and a 5-year-old, buzzing down one of the Walmart toy department aisles. As everyone picked out something and brought it to their basket, she asked them if they had noticed how much the items cost.
“You have to check the prices,” Thompson told Marquise Thompson and Terion Couch. Marquise, the older of the two, took note. The younger one didn’t. Thompson said he was too small to understand the costs.
This one’s all about grabbing [the toy] and put it in the cart,” she said.
Several children who attend Petersburg public schools brought their families and friends to Walmart as part of the “Shop With A Hero” program, where Colonial Heights first responders were paired with children to venture into the store and get as many gifts as the $250 .gift card they had in their hands would cover. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of those carts headed to the toy department.
Keyana Manson from Petersburg brought her 8-year-old goddaughter, Sorea Clanton. It was the first time either had participated in a shopping with friends program.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Manson, a store manager in Petersburg. She said she had just thrown a Christmas party for her staff that morning, then braved the rainy conditions to bring Sorea to Walmart.
Sorea, seemingly a child of few words, gave a thumbs up when asked what she thought of her shopping adventure.
One of his classmates from Pleasants Lane Elementary School also saved his words when asked what he was looking to buy in the store.
“Toys,” said 7-year-old Chase Coles. Chase was there with his father, Alonzo Bynum.
“With inflation and everything going on, that really helps,” Bynum said as Chase used a rack of Nerf toys.
Andrew Fontaine, a senior police officer, was on his first shopping spree in Colonial Heights. He is no stranger to the concept, however, as he said he was involved in several such events when he was a cop in Petersburg for five years.
“It’s one of my favorite moments,” Fontaine said. Having a young daughter himself, he tried to offer some suggestions to Manson and Sorea, who he was partnered with.
“She’s probably a little too old for ‘Bluey’, isn’t she?” Fontaine asked Manson while Sorea searched for the perfect doll. My daughter is four and she loves it.
The Shop With A Hero program was made possible by donations from People’s Advantage Credit Union in Petersburg, American Legion Post 284 in Colonial Heights, the nonprofit group Move America and G&T Body Shop in Petersburg, as well as than several donations collected by individuals. Chris Hamilton, who organized the event, said he was able to raise $2,800, which translated into 10 $250 gift cards and three $100 gift cards. The children received the $250 cards, while Hamilton and Quan Muhammad of Move America said they planned to give away the three $100 cards to random customers in the store.
Three of the $250 gift cards went to children whose families recently lost everything they had in a house fire, Hamilton said.
Muhammad said the Colonial Heights event on Thursday was just the start of the Shop With A Hero program.
“We’re going to take over the entire Tri-City area next year,” he said. “We can even ask them to close a Walmart for the day so we can take the kids shopping.”
Hamilton added: “Or at least close the toy shelves.”
Similar shopping programs involving children and law enforcement officers took place this week in Dinwiddie and Petersburg.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/her) is an award-winning journalist covering breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.
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