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Cops treat kids to shopping, pizza
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Sgt. Ryan DeYoung from the Great Bend Police Department serves pizza to children, Saturday at Gambino’s. The Great Bend chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, which is open to all law enforcement officers in Barton County, conducted its annual Cops and Kids Shopping Adventure. After a pizza party, children were taken shopping.
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Eight-year-old Zeppelin shows off the police badge he received at Saturday’s event.

Police officers spent part of their day Saturday treating 30 kids to pizza and a Great Bend shopping trip.

Sgt. Jay Bachar, president of Great Bend’s Fraternal Order of Police chapter, said the “Cops and Kids Shopping Adventure” is an annual FOP tradition. Children were selected by area schools and the GPS Kids Club in Hoisington.

After lunch at Gambino’s Pizza, the children were shuttled to Walmart in vans donated by Marmie’s. Each child could spend $30.

Some planned to spend the money on themselves, like the girl who said she wanted to buy a pair of shoes. Others were buying Christmas presents for others. An 8-year-old boy named Zeppelin said he planned to buy his mother something she could use in the kitchen.

Children were also given gold-colored police badge stickers to wear.

The Great Bend FOP has more than 40 members and is open to any law enforcement officer in Barton County.