Portland's 'Shop with a Cop' Initiative Brings Holiday Cheer to Local Children

The Portland Police Department and the Portland Rotary Club have once again joined forces to bring holiday joy to local children through the annual 'Shop with a Cop' event.

 

This year's event, held on December 13, 2025, at the Franklin, Kentucky Walmart, provided 33 children from underprivileged families the opportunity to shop for $300 worth of gifts, each accompanied by a uniformed police officer, firefighter, or vetted chaperone.

 

The program, now in its second year, was inspired by similar initiatives in neighboring Sumner County communities like Gallatin and Hendersonville.

 

Assistant Chief Toby Sabie, a member of the Rotary Club, spearheaded the collaboration to establish the program in Portland.

 

“Toby approached the Rotary Club last year with the idea to start 'Shop with a Cop' in Portland,” said Rotary member Sonja Schuette, who played a pivotal role in fundraising efforts.

 

“We discovered that the city and police department couldn't handle the funds directly, so the Rotary Club stepped in to facilitate the fundraising.”

 

The Portland Rotary Club studied similar programs in other communities and received planning assistance from fellow Rotary Clubs.

 

They established a 501(c)(3) foundation to raise funds, with the primary fundraiser being a golf tournament held in September at Dogwood Hills Golf Course, which successfully raised $9,000.

 

Schuette noted that the City of Portland had multiple teams participating in the tournament.

 

The Farmers Bank served as the title sponsor, with additional support from businesses like Wilson Bank & Trust and Graphic Obsessions on Main and Unipres.

 

Applications for the program were distributed through local elementary schools, allowing parents to apply.

 

Although the initial plan was to accommodate 30 children, 33 attended the shopping day.

 

Thanks to Walmart's assistance, the event remained under budget, according to Schuette.

 

Officials believe that providing children with positive interactions with police and firefighters outside of their regular duties will help foster lasting relationships, especially for those who might be at risk in the future.

 

“The children were able to shop with police, firefighters, and emergency services responders,” Schuette said.

 

“Fostering this early relationship with first responders has a significant impact.”

 

“All the kids and volunteers were very happy.

 

The Walmart staff was fantastic… They set up a room for us so we could have pizza while volunteers, including the mayor of Portland, took children shopping.”

 

The Portland Police Department expressed their gratitude via their Facebook page: “We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Portland Rotary Club, Franklin Walmart, our school counselors, chaperones, officers, and every individual and business who donated to make this event possible.

 

Because of your generosity and support, we were able to help make the holiday season brighter for several local families.”

 

“It was truly our pleasure to coordinate this event and spend time with these children and families.

 

The smiles, laughter, and memories made will last far beyond the holiday season.”

 

Looking ahead, the Portland Rotary Club is already considering ways to expand the program in the future to reach even more children in need.

 

For those interested in supporting the 'Shop with a Cop' initiative, the Portland Rotary Club welcomes donations and volunteers to help continue this heartwarming tradition.