Pittston Township Police Chief Lena Angelella points to a decorated glass to Emarosa Capo, left, and her sister, Skylar Rogers, during the City of Pittston’s 2021 Shop with a Cop program.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
The Greater Pittston Santa Squad founder, Anthony Marranca, looks for toys for a registered child participating in the Shop with a Cop program during the 2021 campaign.
Tony Callaio file photo | For Times Leader
PITTSTON – After an overwhelming successful inaugural 2021 Christmas, the Shop with a Cop event is returning to downtown Pittston bigger and better for 2022.
Mary Kroptavich, City of Pittston’s Main Street manager, promises this year’s event, taking place on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Shop with a Cop is closed to only participating children.
In 2021, the City of Pittston’s Shop with a Cop program gave $100 cash to 70 children to shop for Christmas items from more than 60 vendors under a tent behind the Pittston Memorial Library.
This year, Kroptavich said there are approximately 200 children, each given $100 to spend on vendors under a much larger tent, which will situated at the second tier of the Pittston Tomato Festival.
The Shop with a Cop program coupled police officers with children at the elementary school level who are faced with life challenges such as a parent losing a job; homelessness, military deployment, economic shortcomings, and other hardships in helping them have a happy Christmas holiday.
The program gave the children a chance to view police officers in a different light while helping promote positive relationships with police and the community.
“This year we are expecting between 50 to 75 police officers, State Troopers, D.A.’s, and with volunteers, we will probably have 100 people in total helping out,” Kroptavich said. “We’ll also have fire and E.M.S. on hand as well.”
The vendor heated tent has been expanded to 130 feet by 80 feet and new this year will be a heated food patio 20-foot-by40-foot x tent available with tables to dine from the several food vendor trucks on hand.
There will be 35 vendors on hand and a section for gift-wrapping as well.
“A special shout out goes to Santi’s Food Truck who is donating all the lunch food for children,” Kroptavich added. “Mary Santi said her food truck will be on-site all day serving the general public as the Shop with a Cop event ends at noon and Festa Natale begins.”
Food trucks Taco Bout Us and All Belgium will be on-site all day and the Salvation Army will be on-site serving hot chocolate.
