Cops & Kids program marks 24th year

MANSFIELD — With so much uncertainty in today’s world, it’s comforting to know there are still a few constants to count on. The annual Cops & Kids shopping event is one of them. 

On Sunday, the Fraternal Order of Police William J. Taylor Lodge #32 hosted its 24th annual Cops & Kids event at Walmart on Possum Run Road. More than 100 students wandered the store’s clothing section to purchase items for the upcoming school year.

Lodge president and Ret. Sgt. Mike Bammann described the event as “controlled chaos,” and for good reason; after nearly a quarter century, the program runs like a well-oiled machine, even in the midst of a global pandemic. 

“We’ve got hand sanitizer, protective equipment…prepackaged snacks,” Bammann said. “It was a little extra to do (this year), but we were going to pull this off safely and by the rules.” 

Bammann said the FOP lodge was determined to make Cops & Kids happen no matter what this year. For example, funding for Cops & Kids comes from monies raised during a fundraising program organized by the FOP, which was cut one week short due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The people in this community are so generous even in bad times, we were only able to do it for four weeks this time, and we still raised the same amount as we did last year,” Bammann said. 

“We weren’t sure if we were going to be able to fundraise at all, or how it was going to go,” he continued. “We decided as a lodge that whether we could fundraise or not, we were going to pull this off one way or another; we know the need is there, and it’s even greater this year.”

Each student is given a voucher ranging from $100 to $150 to be used as cash, from kindergarten through 12th grade, and given the freedom to shop and pick out their own clothing accompanied by a lodge volunteer.

Cops & Kids partners with the Richland County Children’s Auxiliary, which runs The New Store in Mansfield and will also receive monetary donations from the Cops & Kids fundraiser. The Auxiliary and the Richland County Kinship program provide the names of the children who come to shop.

“These are kids being raised by their grandparents, and you have grandparents we’ve seen over the years that are now raising their great-grandkids,” Bammann said.

In addition to meeting a financial need in the community, the Cops & Kids program also provides an opportunity for students to build relationships with their local law enforcement, and vice versa. It’s a service that has proven especially valuable in recent months. 

“If you watch the national news and that’s all you get, it can make you feel bad,” Bammann said. “This is a great opportunity to see that we’re just like everybody else. I think this speaks to who we really are.”