Shop With Sheriff brightens holidays for Dougherty County school children

ALBANY — For Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul, Monday was the most wonderful time of the year, the day of the annual “Shop With the Sheriff” event that treats dozens of area children facing a bleak holiday season to lunch and a shopping spree.

“This is my favorite day of the year as the sheriff of Dougherty County,” Sproul said. “They (otherwise) may not have a Christmas. Of all the days you go through, the ups and the downs, this is my favorite one of the year. Just the joy of the day, knowing we invested in these children’s lives. It’s so important.”

About 25 elementary school-age children ate lunch at Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse before crossing Dawson Road with a police escort, including blue flashing lights, to Target. Each of the children received $125 to spend on presents for themselves and others in their family.

Among those looking to give as well as receive on Monday was Serenity Shorter.

“That’s the first thing she asked was could she get something for her 4-year-old cousin,” Charlotte Bunn, the human resources coordinator at the sheriff’s office, who accompanied Serenity for the day, said.

For the youngster, the outing was exciting and a great way to think of others.

“I love it. I love it,” she said. “I love having all the sheriffs helping me.”

She said she did not know what her mother would like as a Christmas gift, but it was an easy call to help out her younger cousin.

“She was asking for that toy for a long time,” Serenity said.

Sproul initiated the program while he was assigned to work with young citizens under former Sheriff Jamil Saba. In addition to those who were present on Monday, the sheriff’s office will provide an equal amount of gifts through the program for an additional 35 young people who were unable to attend on Monday.

The sheriff’s office holds a golf tournament each fall that funds most of the money needed for presents.

“It’s mostly the school system, the counselors and teachers” who identify the children, the sheriff said. “We take their information and make a final selection.”

Sproul, who is halfway through a fourth term as sheriff, has maintained his focus on youth in the community, and his deputies make frequent visits to students throughout the Dougherty County School System.

For Albany Police Department Cpl. Dramoski Franklin, the lunch and shopping spree offer a way to give back and also negate some of the negative perceptions some people may have of law enforcement.

“Giving; it’s all about giving,” said Franklin, who was attending his second Shop With the Sheriff event on Monday. “Giving back to the community, giving back to our youth to show them we love them and (that) we need them as much as they need us.

“This is a way they see that not all police are in that category.”

It also was the second year for sheriff’s Sgt. Anthony Bell, who said that law enforcement officers get as much out of helping out the community as do the young beneficiaries.

“It means the world to me, to help kids and build relationships with them and help them grow,” he said. “At the same time, it’ll help me grow as a person. Things have changed a lot for these kids. We’ve got to change with the times.”

Some of the children who attended have lost family members to COVID-19.

“We have a whole lot that have losses through COVID,” Bell said. “We go out to schools and mentor kids. The end result, it puts a smile on kids’ faces. We love seeing how talented and how smart these kids are.”

Tokyo owner Han Kim started providing the meals, at no cost, for the annual program about 11 years ago after Sproul told him about Shop With the Sheriff. He estimated it costs about $1,000 each year.

“It’s about becoming part of the community, of doing business here,” Kim said. “You’ve got to do something for the community. It’s good for us. We try and do things for churches and schools.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
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