Shop with a Hero event teaches kids the importance of giving back
Dec. 3—TRAVERSE CITY — The Meijer toy aisle bustled with young shoppers squealing with delight and laughter next to local first responders, as they picked out gifts for others in need.
Early on Friday morning, approximately 40 Silver Lake Elementary School students gathered at Meijer off of U.S. 31 North to help local first responders and veterans shop for the Northwest Michigan Chapter of Toys for Tots "Shop with a Hero" event for the first time since COVID-19.
After receiving their lists from event organizers, representatives from the Traverse City Police Department, Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office, Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department, Michigan State Police and U.S. Marine Corps beelined for the toy section with their young helpers leading the way.
"Any time there's anything like this that's helping kids out, I'm all for it," TCPD Community Police Officer Justin Nowland said.
Mike Kent, assistant coordinator for Northwest Michigan Toys for Tots, said this was his 25th year running this event at the same Meijer location. The shopping spree is funded by the cash donations they receive, he said. This year, Kent said the kids had $5,000 to spend on new toys to give to 14 different organizations in the five-county area.
"These kids, we're using their expertise, because they know toys," he said. "We're a bunch of adults, what do we know about toys, right?"
Nowland's group of "experts" loved one aisle in particular.
"They wanted to go right for the Nerf's, which was one of the reasons they had me laughing," Nowland said after the shopping spree.
Silver Lake student and volunteer shopping expert Kruze, said his group focused on "Hot Wheels for boys and Barbie stuff for girls."
He said he's been coming to Shop with a Hero since he first started at Silver Lake, and he "likes shopping for other kids."
But this year, that's become more important than ever before.
This holiday season, Kent said he's heard from their partners across northern Michigan saying that they will need more toys this year compared to previous years.
One reason for that is inflation. According to multiple surveys by the Toy Inflation Index, toy prices rose between 10- to 15 percent in the past 12 months.
As a result, Kent said this holiday season, Toys for Tots has had to strategize where and when to buy toys to adjust to higher prices. One way they've done that is to work with retail partners like Meijer so they can shop whenever there is a sale.
In addition to hosting the event, Kent said Meijer was matching the toys they bought that morning, and donating $10,000.
"Quite frankly, we need it," he said. "We know that there was going to be greater need this year. We deal with 14 different agencies and they're all saying that 'Yeah, the need is greater this year.'"
The importance of the event was not just buying and donating toys, Kent said, but also teaching young kids the importance of giving back around the holiday season.
For Meagan Stalter, a Traverse City mom of three boys participating in the event, Friday's gathering was a way to teach her sons about how "to shop for other kids and not just for themselves."
She said her boys were excited to participate, and that each year they try to donate extra toys back into the community.
Kent explained the volunteers have to meet certain metrics in order to help out, including having good grades and good attendance.
"So to watch them learn the giving and value of helping others, that's really kind of something special," Kent said.
