NPD Seeks Sponsors To Help Bring Holiday Cheer To Children

NORTHPORT, AL. — A pandemic will not be enough to stop the Northport Police Department from its mission of adding some holiday magic to the lives of local school children in need. But NPD says it can't do it without help from those in the community.

NPD announced plans for its "Christmas With Cops" initiative on Monday, with Community Relations Officer Haley Abbett heading up the effort.

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The 2020 installment of "Christmas With Cops" will see each sponsor donate $200 for an individual child, with all of the money going directly to the child for them to spend. Due to concerns over COVID-19, though, it will be different this year as the children will not shop with the officers.

"Last year we were able to pick the kids up from school, take them shopping, and have a pizza party at the police department," Abbett said. "Even with drastic changes, we still all thought it was important to do what we could to make 'Christmas with Cops' happen again this year.

Abbett said the department is working with school counselors in Northport for each child to be given a wish list this year, with NPD officers doing the shopping and delivering the gifts.

"We did this program last year and it was definitely different than it will be this year because of COVID," she said. "But [the children] were shopping for moms, brothers and sisters and other siblings, so we wanted to work hard to make it happen again."

Abbett said NPD was able to provide Christmas gifts for 28 children last year as they shopped at Walmart in Northport, which has also proven to be a strong partner for the department in its holiday efforts.

"Our favorite part about it is it brought the whole community together," she said. "We had businesses taking part and it was awesome. It ended up taking almost everyone in our agency."

To make "Christmas With Cops" possible, Abbett said the department is asking for local sponsors to donate to help generate some holiday spirit.

Sponsorships will include a T-shirt logo of each donating business, with the designs coming soon, she said.

"Everybody I spoke with, counselors and people at Walmart, we know we have some hurdles, so I think we’re all just working together," Abbett said. "Last year, our sponsors really stepped up. With the school councilors, we put that on the school because they know who needs what."

She then said the target date for the culmination of the event is tentatively set for Dec. 15-16.

Businesses interested in being a sponsor will need to provide a vector image of the company's logo and a check made out to the Northport Police Department with "Christmas With Cops" in the memo line.

The deadline for company logos to be submitted is Dec. 2 and checks can be dropped off or mailed to NPD at 3721 26th Avenue in Northport.

Those with questions are asked to call Abbett at (205) 469-1302 or email her at habbett@cityofnorthport.org.

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