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St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Lee Enterprises

Thursday, October 29, 2009 10:03 PM CDT
'Shop with a Cop' fundraisers set to begin

By ROB STROUD, Staff Writer
rstroud@jg-tc.com

CHARLESTON — A series of fundraisers will kick off next week with the goal of helping the Charleston Shop with a Cop program provide Christmas gifts for 100 area children in financial need.

The fundraisers will include Eastern Illinois University coaches serving as celebrity bartenders on Tuesday at Marty’s, Gateway Liquors holding a wine tasting on Nov. 12 at the Charleston Country Club, and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 88 holding a pork chop dinner on Nov. 13 at the Charleston Moose Lodge.

Police union member Tony West said coaches and staff from the EIU Athletic Department will tend bar during the annual benefit at 5-8 p.m. Tuesday at Marty’s, 1666 Fourth St. West said an interesting aspect of attending this year is to be able to see the results of the recent renovation at the long-time, campus-side bar and grill.

Gateway Liquors’ eighth annual wine tasting benefit is scheduled for 4:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Charleston Country Club. Store owner Carl Wolff’ said the country club does a great job of offering a variety hors d’oeuvres that people can taste test along with their choices from a large selection of wines.

Tickets to the wine tasting are $10 each. They will go on sale starting Monday at Gateway Liquors, 102 Lincoln Ave., and also will be available at the door during the wine tasting.

“Shop with a Cop is a great fit,” Wolff said of holding a tasting at the start of the holiday season. “The money goes to a great cause.”

The police union’s annual pork chop dinner fundraiser is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Moose Lodge, 615 Seventh St. Tickets can be purchased in advance from union members and at the police station, 614 Sixth St., or at the door during the dinner for $10 each.

In addition, police union members are raffling two hunting shotguns and a single shot .22-caliber rifle along with cash prizes of $200, $100, and two $50 amounts. Entrants must have a valid firearm owner identification card.

Applications to enroll children in the Shop with a Cop program are available at the police station. The program serves ages infant to 15 in the Charleston school district whose families are in financial need.

West said police officers, firefighters and other volunteers will take participating children shopping on Dec. 13 at Wal-Mart in Charleston and then hold a pizza party for them at EIU’s Thomas Hall.

“Our goal is to serve about 100 but we usually end up taking more than that,” West said. “It depends on the money raised, of course.”

Donations to the Shop with a Cop program can be mailed to Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 88 at the police station or at P.O. Box 475 in Charleston.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com or 238-6861.

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~STRANGER~ wrote on Oct 30, 2009 5:04 PM:

" Are the firearms new or are they guns taken from the hands of criminals? "

Mama says wrote on Oct 30, 2009 5:35 PM:

" I use to think this is wonderful for kids. I learned the majority return the items and get the cash and kids still have nothing until Walmart put a stop to it. I know three kids were given bikes from someone, the mom took all bikes back for the $300 cash. She didn't spend it on the kids either.
There should be way to stop parents like that from doing this to their kids. "

Harry Potter wrote on Oct 30, 2009 5:47 PM:

" Gateway Liquors eighth annual wine tasting benefit is scheduled for 4:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at the Charleston Country Club. Store owner Carl Wolff said the country club does a great job of offering a variety hors doeuvres that people can taste test along with their choices from a large selection of wines.

This program is a great idea, it's too bad that it's being partly sponsored by selling booze. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Oct 30, 2009 10:18 PM:

" Mama that is just terrible and heartbreaking that somone would do that to their kids. The first year we lived here my daughter got selected to participate in this program ( one of her teachers nominated her) and my daughter just loved it! They go shop and then eat pizza and hang out with the police officers. My daughter even picked out a present for her brother and one for me too. She just melted my heart doing that. "

Mama says wrote on Oct 31, 2009 1:18 AM:

" Like Country Club needs more reason to booze it up at the Club. FREE eats.
Well that is where the bucks spends.
Too bad good things have to be soiled by BOOZE EVENTS. Wonder if have country music and bagels?

Guns and booze. Will officers put em in vehicles so can kill someone boozed up and giveout tickets? Just asking. "

Rohn Gordon wrote on Oct 31, 2009 9:28 AM:

" You know Harry if you stop and think about it. When you hear of benefits for this person or that person the most of them are done by a bar. It seams these are the people who care about others the most. I will also bet you that the big motor cycle ride for toys results in and give way more toys to kids than these kind of things talked about in this article. "

mindboggle wrote on Oct 31, 2009 10:50 AM:

" HP wrote "This program is a great idea, it's too bad that it's being partly sponsored by selling booze. "

And what's wrong with selling booze? It's legal. "

Traveling Circus wrote on Oct 31, 2009 3:09 PM:

" I have known so many to abuse this program. It's a great program in spirit; but when kids whose parents make so much more than me use it - what's wrong with that picture? Perhaps a little more verification could go a long way; and some kind of way of marking items so they can't be returned (maybe exchanged) would make people want to give to this program. "

Mama says wrote on Oct 31, 2009 8:19 PM:

" One kid bought a leather jacket for himself, camera and film, and coupon for developing, hat, gloves, boots, radio/headphone, bought family a turkey with sweet taters, stuffing, and greenbean casserole and rolls, and pumpkin pie as knew not have it otherwise. That melted our hearts along with one red rose for his mom. "

devilishangel61401 wrote on Oct 31, 2009 8:25 PM:

" Traveling I agree it is sad when people abuse this program. They should verify income and give it to the truly needy folks. there should be a way to mark the gifts so they cannot be taken back. I just don't understand how anyone can do that to their kids. "