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State Troopers Help Students Holiday Shop

ROSEDALE, Md. (WJZ) -- The holiday season is a time to shop 'til you drop. For one group of Baltimore County children there's help to lift big presents and wrap them, too.

Gigi Barnett reports it's all part of the shop with a cop program.

The holiday list is long.

"A little something that you use to bake with," said Veronica Rosas, shopper.

Sometimes help is needed to collect it all.

"These little kids know what they want," said State Trooper Matt Fitzwater.

They're part of a program called "Shop with a Cop."

Forty children were hand-selected by their schools to receive a $100 gift card from Wal-Mart.

A personal shopper, who's also a state trooper, will be with the students to help them check off their holiday shopping lists.

"When you watch them check out, most of the stuff they're buying isn't for themselves, so they're helping out with their families," said Scott Bonsall, Rosedale Wal-Mart Manager.

There are some big ticket items on their lists as well as some things they want and need, like shoes for school.

"I thought I can get a lot of stuff," said Robert Barlow, shopper.

This is the fourth year Wal-Mart has teamed up with the Maryland State Police to give the kids a happy holiday.

"It gives the kids a chance to get out and about and meet the police and let them know we're not all bad people and they don't have to be afraid of us," said Corporal Todd Liddick, Maryland State Police.

When the shopping is all done each child gets a picture with Santa and a holiday memory with a trooper.

After the shopping trip the children and troopers wrapped the gifts and ate lunch with students at Eastern Tech High School.

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