With a little help from a San Jose officer and a Santa's helper at Target, a young boy chose a Michael Jackson CD a Christmas gift for his mom.
Twenty-six children from Trace Elementary School browsed the aisles at Target, and they were given a $100 gift card to go on this special Christmas shopping adventure.
"They're very nice, and I want to thanks them," Trace Elementary student Issac Solario said.
"Just call us a bunch of altruistic cops and right now this is the safest Target store in the city," retired SJ police officer Darrell Cortez said.
Cortez helps organize the San Jose Police Department's annual Shop with a Cop event, which pairs an officer with each student. It's a community effort to help low-income children and their families also enjoy the holidays.
"We were going to have like a small Christmas this year because it's been a little tough financially, but he's ecstatic and I'm ecstatic we can actually buy some gifts for him this year," Trace Elementary parent Elizabeth Czahar said.
This year, Shop with a Cop chose Trace Elementary to help the school that has already gone through a tough year. Over the summer, an arson fire destroyed much of the school and students have been going to classes in portable buildings while it's being rebuilt.
"With Trace and what happened there, and you know all the things that have happened with the economy and everything, it was just wonderful we could be here this year and help them," retired SJ police officer Chuck Gould said.
"It was pretty exciting because I got to pick things for Christmas, and since it costs like a lot of money for my parents to buy a lot of things, I thought that this would be my first Christmas present for me," Trace Elementary student Lizet Delatorre said.
