By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
For Lake Orion resident Scott Miller, Shop with a Hero was riding around upside down on the bottom of a grocery cart with his favorite type of hero in the world.
Browsing Target’s finest toys, marking items off his Christmas list, Scott and Sgt. Richard Klockziem were two peas in a pod.
‘As you can see, Scott is in camo. Scott is always in camo. He has guns. He wants to save the world. He wants to be a soldier. So to be able to shop with his hero, what he wants to be when he grows up, is an amazing experience for him,? Lindsay Miller, Scott’s mom, said at the event.
Scott, along with another 119 local area kids, were selected to participate in this year’s Shop with a Hero program, joining quite a few departments in their quest: the Lake Orion Police Department, Auburn Hills Police Department, several agents from the southeast Michigan FBI task force, the 1775th Military Police Company in Pontiac, the 1776th Military Police Company in Taylor, the Oakland University Police Department, and other departments for a night of holiday shopping.
‘Because I just like having rides,? Scott said, explaining his precarious position underneath his gifts.
In past events the Lake Orion Police Department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office substation Orion Township brought children in need of a brighter Christmas to the Oxford Meijer.
This year they split up, and the LOPD took kids to Target, and the OCSO took 75 kids to Meijer.
Both events were a raging success as kids ran around the superstores with a $150 gift card to spend on themselves and their family or friends.
The 40 local families whose children attended Meijer’s received a free Christmas dinner provided by 24th Street Sports Tavern in Oxford along with a take-home dinner Meijer’s provided among other gifts.
Police, Fire and EMS from Orion Township, Oxford Village, Oxford Township, Oakland, Addison and Brandon Townships all participated in this eighth annual event.
Apart from Target and other contributors, this year the LOPD partnered with Sister Souls, a Lake Orion nonprofit organization, who took the event by the horns.
‘The community came together to help the community’s kids,? LOPD Chief Jerry Narsh said. ‘With the Sister Souls program, I just stood back and watched, and they rocked the program. It was an amazing night all the way around. Thank you Target, and thank you everybody who donated because really the heroes with us tonight are everybody who funded this program.?
Apart from shopping around Target, kids could also go to the Giving Table provided by community members Kathy and Todd Garris, pick up some winter clothing, get their gifts wrapped, and were also given a special, hand-made wooden toy from a Lapeer resident.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, spent money out of his pocket to make 100 Pebble Moon Golfs, a toy similar to Shoot the Moon and donated it to the program.
The OCSO partnered up with the Lake Orion Community Schools, Orion Early Childhood Head Start, Orion Township, Oakland County Youth Assistance and other community groups to identify families that would most benefit from the program.
‘We want to especially thank Sandy Molosky and Lisa Hatduk of Meijer’s, our local businesses and all residents that made a donation to make the event a success,? Lieutenant Dan Toth said. ‘Considering that much of the contact children have with public safety is during traumatic incidents such as auto accidents, family trouble calls and other similar incidents, this event is not only to provide a helping hand at the holidays, but to bring together our public safety heroes with the kids on one night that is all about fun and a good time.?