On Saturday, December 11, the Mooresville Police Department (MPD) will partner with Target and the Salvation Army to make this holiday season extra special for local children during the sixth annual Heroes and Helpers program.
Forty children, ages five to 10, have been selected to participate in this year’s event. Referrals were made to the department by local school counselors and civic group leaders, as well as Mooresville police officers. The purpose of Heroes and Helpers is to bring joy, hope, and encouragement to underserved or underprivileged families through a positive and fun experience that everyone, including the officers, will enjoy and remember.
This year’s event begins at Heritage House, where the children will be treated to “Breakfast with Santa” and introduced to their designated police officer before taking a “sleigh ride” (with Mooresville’s finest providing an escort) to Target. The children will shop with officers for needed clothing and toys, and each family will be given a gift card for a warm holiday meal at the end of the event. This year’s event was made possible through generous donations from BestCo, Inc. and F3 Foundation.
According to the event organizer, Detective Daniel Miglin, Heroes and Helpers is “a collaborative effort of the community to take care of Mooresville families and is a part of MPD’s ongoing effort to build trust and strengthen relationships between the police and the community.”