Canyon County Children Get Free School Supplies During Shop with a Sheriff Event

CALDWELL, Idaho — School is almost back in session, and a group of 47 Canyon County kids got their school supplies for free at the 10th annual Shop with a Sheriff event. Each child is paired with a police officer and given a budget of $200 to shop for school supplies, clothing and other supplies they’ll need for the school year.

• Canyon County hosts these types of events twice a year: once before the start of the school year and again around the holidays.
• 47 children purchased school supplies and other necessities during the event worth a total of $9,000.
• The event is sponsored by the Canyon County Law Enforcement Foundation. More information about the Canyon County Law Enforcement Foundation can be found here.

(Below you will find the transcript of the broadcast story)

“Okay, you push the cart. Make sure you don’t hit anything, okay,” said Corporal Isaac Hodges with the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.

Riley Rice and Corporal Isaac Hodges go shopping for school supplies.

“I told you not to bump into people!” says Hodges.

“You were the one who did it!” says Riley.

Riley Rice was one of 47 children invited by Canyon County law enforcement to participate in their 10th annual “Shop with a Sheriff” event.

Police select children based on their daily interactions in the community and by working with school counselors to identify children who may need some help with items.

“We pick up the kids and give them their school supplies and other items they need for the new school year,” Hodges said.

Each child is paired with a police officer and given a budget of $200 to purchase school supplies, clothing and other necessities for the school year.

“Oh, this helps a lot because normally I have to get things here and there, instead of all at once,” said Corina Rice, Riley’s mother.

She tells me that this event helped her daughter prepare for the school year in one fell swoop.

“I have some of the stuff here and you guys get the rest of their stuff, so that helps a lot,” said Corina Rice.

“It’s not often you see law enforcement professionals making a fool of themselves, but I think when you walk through the store and you work your way through the store, you see a lighter side to this group of people,” said Capt. Chuck Gentry of the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office.

He tells me that these types of events help build positive relationships between officers and children.

“It gives these kids a chance to see a different side of law enforcement, which I think is really important for our community to see,” Gentry said. “And it also helps our community sponsor kids who might need a little help getting back into school.”

“When you don’t know police officers, you can hear good things and you can hear bad things. So she experiences it herself that it’s good,” Corina Rice said.