There was a lot of excitement in the air late afternoon December 20 in the side parking lot by Lawn & Garden in Walmart. Kids of various ages mingled about with parents waiting for Shop with an SRO. Students identified by SROs, Principals, and Guidance Counselors at CCSD schools were selected to participate in the event. Community Liaison Officer Deputy James Brown with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office spoke with The Press and Standard about the Shop with a SRO event. Deputy Brown shares, “We started this program about three years ago, myself and Mr. Jimmy Wiggins.” Mr. Wiggins is a retired CCSO Deputy, but is still heavily involved with the community. “The event is dealing with all the elementary school throughout the county, and the SRO officer in that school, along with the principal, and the guidance counselor help decide who needs to come shop with the SRO’s. Mr. Wiggins shared the inspiration for the Shop with a SRO program, “we have a lot of kids that are in need especially during the holiday time, so we wanted to try to help them out…and put a smile on the child’s face during the holiday time and make it a great event.” This year 35 children were able to shop with an SRO and others, but Deputy Brown and Mr. Wiggins want to be able to shop with 100-150 kids next year.
Both Deputy Brown and Mr. Wiggins wanted to thank those who assisted with the event: Scott Biering from Bee City, Bruce Singleton and The Corvette Group of Walterboro, Ms. Tara Glover with the Lowcountry Community Action Agency, Renee and Jimmy Henderson of Renegade Peppers who provided the hamburgers and hot dogs, and all the LEO and First Responder agencies who came out as well.
And from Deputy James Brown and Mr. Jimmy Wiggins, “Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, and be blessed.”
