EDWARDSVILLE - For the 14th year, the members of Edwardsville’s Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 244, will be spreading some holiday joy to area families through its “Christmas with a Cop” program.

This fun tradition will take place on Saturday, December 16. Through the program, Edwardsville Police Department officers will enjoy breakfast and holiday shopping with 30 area children in need. The participating families are preselected in coordination with the Edwardsville School District.

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It’s a welcome opportunity for the officers to spend time with the participating children and allow them the chance to select their own gifts, all at no cost to their families. This year’s event will begin at 8 a.m. with the children and officers enjoying breakfast at the Chick-fil-A on Troy Road. That will be followed by a police vehicle escort, complete with sirens and flashing lights, to Target, where the children will pair up with officers to shop. The gifts then will be wrapped by the officers’ families.

The Edwardsville Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 244, hosts numerous fundraisers throughout the year to support the Christmas with a Cop program and to expand the number of families who are served by it. In addition to the fundraising events, the Christmas with a Cop initiative is made possible by community supporters, including Target, Kloss Furniture, Allison’s Comfort Shoes and Boots and many private donors. Additional help comes from the many businesses that sponsor and donate to the Fraternal Order of Police fundraisers throughout the year.

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