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Dysart’s annual Shop with a Cop spreads Christmas cheer for sixth year

Dysart Police Department’s sixth annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ youth participants pictured in the Dysart Community Center on Dec. 12 with (back row, l-to-r) Deputy Brian Randall, Detective Trevor Killian, and Deputy Jacob Murphy with the Tama Co. Sheriff’s Dept.; Jenna and Chad Scott of Harper’s Public House (back row, far right); and DG Elementary Secretary Brenda Gardner (center, kneeling). PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY STENDA
DG Elementary Secretary Brenda Gardner, center back, shops with a trio of this year’s Shop with a Cop participants on Monday, Dec. 12 in Waterloo. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY STENDA
Tama County Detective Trevor Killian, left, pictured on Monday, Dec. 12 in Waterloo shopping with a participant in this year’s Shop with a Cop event organized by the Dysart Police Department. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY STENDA
Dysart Police Dept.’s Shop with a Cop law enforcement participants this year pictured on Dec. 12 in the Dysart Community Building including Tama Co. Deputy Brian Randall, Tama Co. Detective Trevor Killian, Tama Co. Deputy Jacob Murphy, and organizer Dysart Officer Jeremy Stenda. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEREMY STENDA

For the sixth year running, members of the Dysart Police Department partnered with local businesses and community leaders for the annual ‘Shop with a Cop’ event – making Christmas a little more special for several area schoolchildren.

Similar to last year, on Monday, Dec. 12, eight elementary students from the Dysart community traveled with Dysart Police Officer Jeremy Stenda, Tama County Sheriff’s deputies, and Dysart-Geneseo Elementary Secretary Brenda Gardner to Waterloo to shop for both themselves and their family members.

Accompanying organizers Stenda and Gardner were Deputy/Jail Administrator Brian Randall, Detective Trevor Killian, and Deputy Jacob Murphy.

Following the shopping trip, the group made their way back to Dysart where they enjoyed a delicious, locally-catered meal at the community building courtesy of LB’s Pizza, Harper’s Public House, and KE Black Mercantile.

“Each year makes you realize just how important the little things in life are,” Officer Stenda said following the event. “[I’m] happy we could make this Christmas a little more enjoyable for these eight kiddos.”