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By late Friday morning, 15 elementary school students were roaming the Walmart aisles, each with a city officer or volunteer at their side helping them pick out Christmas gifts during Shop with a Cop.
Eight-year-old Amaya Linderman was one of those students.
"I got some makeup, I got a cup for my mom and a necklace for her, and I got a sweater and a game for all of us, and I got my sissy a sweater," Amaya said, adding that her favorite gift was the makeup kit.
The total cost of all the children's gifts came to about $3,000, Havre Police Chief Gabe Matosich said. Matosich, along with Sgt. Jesse Eller, whose wife, Laura Eller, has been the main coordinator for the event, credited several businesses for making the event happen. Among them, both men said, Walmart had donated about $2,000. Matosich said the Havre Police Protective Association another $1,000. Other contributors included McDonald's - that's where breakfast came from - Pizza Hut, which provided lunch, and Bear Paw Credit Union. There were even people who donated while the group of students, volunteers and officers made their way around the store, officers said.
Matosich took 7-year-old Daltyn Schmidt shopping. By 1 p.m., everyone was back at City Hall, downstairs wrapping gifts in the Emergency Operation Center room.
Daltyn showed off a Tyrannosaurus rex toy that growled and turned it's head, a truck pulling a boat toy, a battleship toy, a pair of boots, a purse and a necklace that he said he got for his mother.
"It is a lot of fun because they're so excited," Matosich said. "They're just running and grabbing things. They wanna pick for their parents and brothers and sisters."
Officer Jordan Chroninger had donned a Santa suit, but with a law enforcement twist - he was "tactical Santa." He had a black tactical vest on, and among the things attached to it being a flashlight, a taser, a walkie talkie and his badge. He was navigating the room, helping kids wrap gifts.
"It's always a blast. It's for a good cause," Chroninger said. "It's good to have the kids to have a little more on Christmas."
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