“Everybody looks forward to these two days,” said FDPD Chief Dennis Quinn. “It’s just so much fun.”

The Santa Cops program is an initiative of the Fort Dodge Police Association, which pairs children from low-income families with law enforcement officers for a Christmas shopping spree. The FDPA, which sponsors the event, gets the names of participating children from schools all over Webster County. Around 114 children participated in Santa Cops this week on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at Target. Each child received $150 to spend any way they wanted — on gifts for themselves, for others or both.

“For our officers and what we deal with on a day-to-day basis — people dealing with situations where maybe you’re having a bad day or something negative and officers have to deal with whatever that is — the last two days are special,” Quinn said of the Santa Cops event. “Because they get to come here and it’s just all smiles.”

During the event, the kids are each paired with an officer who takes them around the store to help them fill their shopping carts. For some of the kids, it’s a pretty quick shopping trip, but others like to take their time.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Lilyana Johnson, 5, picks a toy off the shelf while Fort Dodge Police Officer Madison Anderson calculates how much they have left in their budget for their Santa Cops shopping spree at Target on Wednesday evening.

“The last kid I helped, I think we looked at every single toy five times because he was just so excited to be able to pick whatever he wanted,” Quinn said. “And just as we got done, he said ‘This is the best day ever!’ So, I mean, how can that not make you happy and bring a smile to your face?”

Valerie Draper’s sons, Tourrey, 6, and Trystan, 8, were selected for Santa Cops this year. The family has been experiencing some tough times and recently became homeless, Valerie Draper said. But as the family prepares to move into a new permanent home, Santa Cops is helping bring some normalcy to the holiday season for the boys, she said.

The kids are allowed to spend their $150 however they want, and many choose to use a good chunk of that money on gifts for their siblings or parents, Quinn said.

“How cool is that?” he said. “When they get this, it’s supposed to be just for them and they’re thinking of somebody else, too. That’s just amazing.”

While Tourrey Draper went shopping with Gowrie Police Officer Andy Pepples, the boy made sure to pick out a special gift he knew his mom would love — a six-pack of Diet Pepsi.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Elise Klinger, 5, places a toy on the counter to check out after a successful shopping spree with her dad, Derek Klinger, and Fort Dodge Police Assistant Chief Cory Husske during Santa Cops on Wednesday evening at Target.

Elise Klinger, 5, was excited to get her presents wrapped and put underneath her Christmas tree.

“My favorite toy is Paw Patrol and the baby,” she said.

On Tuesday, after helping one young boy pick out gifts for his family, Quinn received a gift of his own.

“I took a young man shopping and when we got done, I wished them a merry Christmas and he goes on his way with his grandma,” he said. “Then I was shopping with another kid and they came back into the store and found me and this little kid held out his hand and he had a little toy police car that was his and he said ‘This is for you’ and handed it to me. That was amazing.”

That little toy police car now has a new home in Quinn’s office.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Alivia Anderson, 5, wraps one of the gifts she picked out while shopping with Santa Cops on Wednesday evening at Target.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever had somebody give me something like that,” Quinn said.

“I just appreciate Target allowing us to do this every year and also to all the people that donate,” Quinn said. “We can’t do these things without the different people in the community who help us.”

Much of the logistics of planning the Santa Cops shopping event is done by department secretary Amber Maxson and Lynne Meyer, records and support technician.

“This is my favorite event that we do,” Maxson said. “It’s a fantastic event. There’s nothing better than seeing a kid smile and just knowing that you made their day look better.”

This week, FDPD officers were joined by deputies from the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, officers from the Gowrie Police Department, troopers from the Iowa State Patrol and commercial vehicle enforcement officers with the Iowa Department of Transportation, for the event.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Tourrey Draper, 6, considers a dinosaur toy with his mom, Valerie Draper, and Gowrie Police Officer Andy Pepples during Santa Cops on Wednesday evening at Target.

After shopping, the children could stop by a gift-wrapping table staffed by Legacy Realty staff to wrap their purchases.

The FDPA has hosted Santa Cops since at least 2000.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert
Jamie Lara, from Legacy Realty, helps Cayden Huffman, 5, wrap one of the gifts he picked out during the Santa Cops shopping event at Target on Wednesday evening.