The toasty warmth of Texarkana’s early-morning sunshine beams down on a crowd of joyful families while a parade of red and blue lights floods Richmond Road. As Santa steps out of the leading patrol car, children erupt into squeals of admiration and anticipation.

On Dec. 2, 2025, local law enforcement gathered to hold the annual Shop with a Cop & Firefighter event to allow underprivileged children a chance to purchase Christmas presents. Dozens of police officers, firefighters, military and more lined the aisles of Target, preparing to offer optimism to families of various backgrounds and situations.

Texarkana Texas Police Department’s (TTPD) Public Information Officer, Shawn Vaughn’s journey through the decades of Shop with a Cop and Firefighter continues to evoke a heartwarming feeling when witnessing the happiness that fills the air as children reach out in all directions for toys, smiling ear-to-ear.

“I’ve been doing this since [the first one, in] 1991. I’ve seen kids come in, and when you hand a kid $100 or $150, they always run to the toy aisle,” Vaughn said. “Then, you start seeing them break off and go to get things like diapers for their little brother or sister.”

Oftentimes, when one grows up underprivileged, they become more aware of the struggles that take place during times of celebration. 

“Those kids are thinking ‘this is what I can do’ because Christmas is as much about giving as it is receiving, and they understand that,” Vaughn said. “I think, as adults, we can learn from some of these kids in terms of how they do business.”

Many of the volunteers experienced this year’s event for the first time and arrived with average expectations. 

“This is my first year, and [looking around and seeing] the joy in them [when they realize] that they get to go around and pick up stuff that they want makes me feel good that we’re able to do this as an organization for kids,” TTPD detective James Ward said. “This girl, her name is Jaxie, was more worried about her brother and little sister. She wanted to get them things first and wasn’t concerned about herself at all. We had to tell her ‘you need to get some stuff for yourself.’ She’s very selfless and very heartwarming.”

Law enforcement and parents in attendance found themselves considering the lessons to be learned from the younger generation. Though the students themselves cannot compare to the height and experience of the hundreds of adults that surrounded them, their hearts overflow with empathy at incomparable levels. The influence of these children on adults leaves a mark on the hearts of bystanders, motivating them to act in the same way.

“Looking back on our lives and how we have it so well, it’s hard to see kids like this when they have less than we do,” Ward said. “I want to keep coming back, do this more. I’d love to give my time to kids like this. [It’s] the meaning of Christmas.”

Since the event’s beginning in 1991, departments from all around town have banded together to show up with as many sponsors as possible. 

“We depend on officers and firefighters from all the area agencies to come help shop with us. It’s pretty much all of the police and fire officers that we can get to come, and we take advantage of them because we had 130 kids this year, so we need a lot of folks to come shop with them,” Vaughn said. “We pull in from all different aspects of the community to pull this thing off every year.”

Throughout the years, inflation has made shopping for necessities more difficult. However, the Texarkana community understands the importance of working together in order to solve monetary issues. In 2015, 100 kids each received $150 to shop.

“I would venture to say between officers, volunteers, as well as firemen and military, I think we were close to 85,” TTPD officer Jonathan Price said. This year we were able to do 130 kids with 150 dollars. Last year we had like 120 kids, so we’re growing every year. I hope we just keep growing.”

With help from school districts, the event has expanded to offer more children a day to shop without worries.

“We originally started the process with plans of doing 125 kids this year, but some counselors came back after looking at those on their campuses and asked if there was any way that we could include the extra kids,” Vaughn said. “Of course, we said yes and then set out to raise money to cover them.”

Numerous means of fundraising allowed children to eagerly rush through the aisles of Target. TTPD officers felt as if they had a part to play before the day started.

“Target is our partner here, and they give us a grant to do this. We also raise money in the community. Several businesses, probably about 25 or 30, contributed to it,” Vaughn said. “Our officers aren’t able to grow a beard normally. The police chief allows them if they pay 100 dollars a piece, they can grow a beard from the first of November through December 31. We raised $4,000 or $5,000  just from the officers wanting to grow a beard every year.”

Private donations and businesses contribute immensely to the successful execution every year.

“Every year, people contact us and want to know how they can give to us,” TTPD Police Chief Kevin Schutte said. “We’ve been doing it for so many years that now, it’s just something that people do every year. They’ll call us and say ‘it’s almost time for Shop with a Cop, how do we donate to it this year?’ So we really don’t have to do a lot of fundraising for it, it pretty much takes care of itself.”

Shop with a Cop & Firefighter was held together by more than the title gives away. Members of the military attended and gave a fresh perspective on giving back.

“We don’t get to do stuff like this very often,” army recruiter Sandra Khounvichai said. “We’re recruiters, so we’re usually out asking for things. It’s one of the times that we get to go, help the community and help kids just feel free for a little bit [so they] don’t have to worry about a budget and just be able to be a kid.”

To most bystanders, the day seems simple. However, not many are aware of the hours of preparation that make Shop with a Cop & Firefighter run smoothly.

“I have spent the last month laboring and worrying about today, trying to make sure I have everything done and taken care of. This is the beginning of the Christmas season for me. There were some kids that weren’t able to get here today, so in the future, we’ll call them and say ‘come meet us at Target, we’ll go shopping with you’,” Vaughn said. “As far as my daily life, I always walk away from this feeling probably more blessed than any kid that was here because I was able to give them the chance to get a Christmas when they may not always have that opportunity.”

Law enforcement officers use the event to be seen in a positive light while also impacting the lives of kids that need heroes. Law enforcement and public safety organizations allow light to be shed on their typical less-than desirable interactions with the public.

“These relationships and the people that they meet today could have a lasting effect on their lives. Decisions they make tomorrow, next year, and even 10 years from now may be a result of something that they did or said to someone today,” Vaughn said. “[Shop with a Cop is] first responders giving back to the community at Christmas time.”