Let’s go shopping: Stevens Point firefighters take on new duty for kids

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point firefighters this week took on a special duty assignment: Christmas shopping with children.

Personnel from the SPFD on Dec. 22 night spent about an hour shopping for Christmas presents with area kids. On-duty department members, as well as off-duty members, gathered at Fleet Farm Tuesday night for the first-annual shopping event.

Lt. Shane Westphal said he’d recently heard about the “Shopping With Heroes” program operating in other Wisconsin fire departments, so he reached out for details. Before long, he said, the department received a donation for the event, in the form of a $500 gift card from Fleet Farm, 5590 Hwy. 10 East.

Adding to that total was a $250 gift from Thrivent Financial and a $250 donation from the charitable foundation of the firefighters’ union, the IAFF Local 484.

Trish Raether, assistant sales manager at Fleet Farm, said participation in the new program was a no-brainer because it’s a good cause.

“We’re always looking for things to do with the community,” she said. “It’s the first time we’ve done this, and I hope we keep doing it.”

Westphal said with a little help from Portage Co. Health and Human Services, seven area youngsters were chosen, ages 11 and under, to get a little help buying presents for their family members.

“It’s really a good cause and as you can see, it’s bringing a smile to the faces of the kids and the department members we have here tonight,” Westphal said. “So that’s always a good thing.”

Westphal said the Local 484 will take donations for the program throughout the year. For more information on donating to this and other charitable programs that the firefighter union operates, email [email protected], or go to stevenspointfirefighters.org.