Shop with a Cop gala fundraiser held in Pittston

PITTSTON — The third annual Shop with a Cop Gala and Auction was held Thursday night at The Banks Waterfront. The fundraising gala works in tandem with the city’s Dec. 7 event, also called Shop with a Cop, which allows local children in need to buy holiday gifts for their loved ones.

Shop with a Cop is a national event that happens in communities all over. Law enforcement officials in the host area assist the children with their holiday shopping. In the case of Pittston, that means officers work alongside children in the Christmas Village to ensure the event is a success.

“As much as I think the kids get out of it, so do [the police],” said Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo.

The mayor acknowledged that the narrative surrounding police officers in recent years has changed dramatically since his own childhood, and not for the better. Per Lombardo, events like Shop with a Cop help bridge the trust gap between the police and the people they are meant to protect.

“Over the last couple of years, I personally believe that law enforcement has been framed in the wrong picture, and we’ve got great officers here in the city,” Lombardo said, before adding, “Law enforcement, like everything else, is about connections, and it’s about knowing the younger people in your community.”

Thursday night’s gala, which was open to the public, is an early step toward making that Dec. 7 shopping day a success. Its attendance has grown considerably over the past few years, from 100 guests in 2022 to 185 on Thursday night.

“It’s growing, just like the actual Shop with a Cop event,” said Mary Kroptavich, the main street manager for the City of Pittston. “We started with supporting 75 children the first year… It has grown to 300 children we will be sponsoring this year.”

The gala’s guests were a mix of business leaders and elected officials, as well as Pittston residents making regular salaries, according to Lombardo.

For the children, the fundraising efforts will result in enormous benefits. Thanks, in part, to a collaboration with the Greater Pittston Santa Squad, each child participating in Shop with a Cop will receive a present, free pajamas, a hot lunch, $100 to spend on Christmas presents for loved ones, and — critically — a visit from Santa Claus.

Local vendors take up the Christmas Village space, meaning that $30,000 ($100 each for 300 children) will go into those businesses as a result of Shop with a Cop, which Lombardo referred to as an event of “pure emotion.”

More information regarding the Shop with a Cop event in Pittston can be found at downtownpittston.com/shopwithacop .