Harmar youth won't 'Shop with a Cop' but program will still help kids in the region - TribLIVE

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Harmar’s fourth annual “Shop with a Cop” event will not be happening this year.

Instead, children within the Allegheny Valley School District will be receiving money courtesy of Target.

Organized by Harmar police, the event pairs Harmar children with township police officers to shop for toys and clothes at the Target store in Harmar.

Police chief Jason Domaratz said in years past, Target funded the entire event. Now it is being done as a matching grant.

That means in the future, the police department will have to find a nonprofit or school district sponsor that will receive the grant from Target, and the police department will have to find donations to match the amount of money Target provides, Domaratz said.

Domaratz said he had gone back and forth with Target about the event since the summer, but they were unsure what was going to happen because of covid-19. By the time the chief learned about the new criteria, the deadline was looming, and he was unable to find a nonprofit to partner with. So he decided to work with the school district.

“What I have decided to do is to go forward with doing it with the school,” Domaratz said. “The school has a program (that) basically focuses on families within the school district that need help.”

A spokeswoman with Allegheny Valley didn’t return a message seeking comment.

In the past, Target gave the department $8,000 for the event.

Domaratz said he asked Target if there was anything they could do to make the event happen this year because more people are out of work as a result of the pandemic.

Last year, about 80 children from Harmar participated in “Shop with a Cop.” Harmar police worked with teachers and others to identify children eligible for the program.

Each child had about $100 to spend, courtesy of Target. Township officers went to Target with the kids and got to know them as they did their shopping.

Domaratz said Target will give $4,000 this year, which they won’t be required to match.

“Target’s committed to supporting our ‘Heroes & Helpers’ program this Holiday season, and we are working with Harmar Township Police Department to identify a solution,” Target said in a statement.

“Shop with a Cop” is normally for children living in Harmar. But because the school district is getting the $4,000, it will be distributed to families within the entire district.

The department earlier this month announced on social media that “Shop with a Cop” was canceled.

Lt. Otto Gaal has participated in the event in the past, and said it is something he looks forward to.

Gaal said a lot of the children shop for their siblings rather than for themselves. They also want to buy things for the officers, such as socks and gloves, because it’s cold outside this time of year.

“We had a blast with the kids, we really did, just seeing their faces,” Gaal said.

Domaratz hopes to be able to hold “Shop with a Cop” again next year.

“My plan is if everything’s back to normal next year, we will then again apply for the grant,” Domaratz said. “I would probably partner with a nonprofit within Harmar Township and go back to the ‘Shop with a Cop’ with kids within our municipality.”

According to a press release from Target, all Heroes & Helpers events will be held fully virtual this year.

Madasyn Lee is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Madasyn at 724-226-4702, mlee@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Local | Valley News Dispatch

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Harmar youth won't 'Shop with a Cop' but program will still help kids in the region - TribLIVE

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