But because of several other monetary donations, 73 children, who were recommended by Middletown school counselors, will shop with members of the police department, said Jason Wargo, president of the FOP.
“This is a way for us to give back to the citizens who need it the most,” Wargo said after attending Tuesday’s city council meeting.
The program is named in memory of Davis, who retired from the police department in 2011 after 44 years of service. For 26 of those years, Davis was a school resource officer and ran Patrolman Jack Combs Memorial Safety Town, a free summer program that teaches students entering kindergarten about street and bus safety.
Davis died in 2013 at the age of 65.
Representatives from the police department — officers, detectives, dispatchers, records clerks and support staff — are paired with children and their parents for the shopping spree. While Wargo said the children can purchase anything they want, they sometimes pick out items for their family.
He said last year’s Mike Davis Christmas With A Cop was canceled due to health concerns because of the coronavirus pandemic. This will be his first time shopping with the children.
“I can’t wait,” he said. “It will be pretty special.”
Some of the other donations came from Ohio State Highway Patrol, Homemakers Circle, Gary Hoff, Knights of Pythias, Frontier Motors, Grand Temple Pythian Sisters of Ohio and Mary Kiser.
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