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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, December 10, 2004

Officers take kids shopping

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

It's hard to tell who's looking forward to the event more — the kids or the cops.

Tomorrow morning, 40 off-duty police officers will take 90 children on a Christmas shopping trip.

The kids, ages 4 through 10, have been invited to Shop With a Cop. They were selected upon recommendation from their schools. The children come from families who are struggling to pay bills and buy necessities.

"I don't like to call them poor," says Sgt. John Kauwenaole, who is assigned to the Kalihi police district. "Maybe there are a lot of kids in their family and not too much to go around. This doesn't replace the family's Christmas; it just kind of adds to it."

Since 1993 when the store opened, Kmart Iwilei has worked with officers from the Kalihi police substation on the project. Other Kmart stores in Hawai'i team up with their neighborhood police units.

The officers show up in uniform at the store at 6 a.m. to register the kids. Kmart serves everyone breakfast, and then Santa arrives to give out presents.

"We give them wrapped gifts that we have for them," says Iwilei store manager Jerry Bonicelli. "There are also gifts that came as donations from our vendors and a gift bag for each kid. One of the gifts is a $50 Kmart cash card for each child, and they can take that and spend it as they choose."

The officers pair up with the children and help in the shopping. There are big decisions to be made — and big boxes to take down from shelves.

"The officers help them figure out their total and how much they have left to spend, help them stay in their dollar range," Kauwenaole says. "In the past, if the kids go over, we've had officers make up the extra out of their own pockets."

Kmart is prepared to cover any overage as well. It would be just too sad if a little elf had to put back something because he was a few dollars over his budget.

"We'll have extra gift cards so that when they get to the checkout stands, if they go, say $55, the cashier will have a card that they can swipe to help them cover the extra," Bonicelli says.

Many kids try to parcel out their spending so that they can get gifts for their family members as well.

"The police officers try to make sure they get something for themselves," Bonicelli says. "But then they want something for their mother or their brother or sister. Something for their family that they wouldn't otherwise get to have."

Kauwenaole says the officers enjoy the event. Every so often, they're caught off-guard by one of the children.

"One year, this young kid bought ME a gift. A little hot wheels car. It was a police car. Till this day, I still see the boy around. We give each other the 'hi' sign," Kauwenaole says. "And I still have that car."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.