High school spirit and Christmas cheer filled the air last Thursday at the Target on Commerce Drive in Woodbury. The “Heroes and Helpers” event was in full swing.
Since 2022, Woodbury Public Safety has partnered with SoWashCo CARES and Target to host a holiday shopping event. Woodbury Police Department school resource and patrol officers (heroes) and student council members from East Ridge and Woodbury High Schools (helpers) buy gifts for students.
In 2023, when student council members realized some of their peers did not have any money to spend on Christmas gifts, the student leaders decided to donate money to buy presents. Some of the wish lists were simple even in this affluent community. “I want socks and pencils for Christmas,” one girl wrote.
“This had a big impact on the kids. They wanted to help their peers,” said Officer Ashley Kowarsch, school resource officer at Woodbury High School.
The first part of the afternoon saw high schoolers from East Ridge and Woodbury High buying and wrapping Christmas gifts for their peers. Carts were piled high with brightly wrapped gifts.
Social workers at Woodbury and East Ridge high schools identified 20 students at the schools who were in need. Their names were kept secret. For an extra layer of privacy, East Ridge shoppers purchased gifts for Woodbury High students and vice versa.
Valentina Rizzo, an eleventh grader at Woodbury High School, talked to me as she continued to wrap gifts. “It feels nice to help those in need. Ever since I started high school and found out about this opportunity, I wanted to help,” Rizzo said. “I am privileged so I feel fortunate to help my peers.”
Her friend and classmate, Chrystan Borzeka, was enjoying the event because she was with her friends. “Honestly, it is a really good opportunity and I am doing it for the community,” Borzeka said.
Jocelyn Funk, another friend, shared that it was eye-opening that people she knew, people she could be friends with, were in need. “It feels good to give back to those who don’t have it. And I love wrapping gifts!”
This year, the ERHS Student Council donated $3,500 and the WHS Student Council donated $2,000. The extra dollars donated by ERHS covered gift buying for additional families from Lake Middle School and Woodbury Middle School. Kowarsch and Rudy Wessels, school resource officer at East Ridge, organized this event.
In a fun twist to the program, the $2,000 grant provided by Target this year was used to pair up elementary school students from ISD 833 with Woodbury Public Safety officers to shop for their families. At the appointed time 24 cops arrived.
Excited elementary school students arrived with their family members. Each elementary student was paired up with a police officer. There were treats of juice, pizza and cupcakes for the kids.
Third-grader Leo was among the first to arrive with his grandma and two siblings. “Leo has been looking forward to this event ever since he found out about it,” said his grandma, Ginni Dodds. She thanked Officer Kowarsch, “We are very happy that the police were doing this.”
The 24 kids and their cop buddies shared a hurried dinner and then set out to choose and buy gifts for their families. It was fun to watch as the kids happily walked beside the cops who were wheeling the shopping carts, discussing what would be a good buy. Each kid had about $150 to spend. Community support dog Otis with his handler Detective Adam Sack added to the general air of festivity.
Throughout the two events, Target employees were on hand to make sure everything was going smoothly. Nick Suter and Maya Peters, part of Target’s Asset Protection team, set up tables with dozens of rolls of wrapping paper, buckets filled with bows, scissors and tape. Peters had done events in Woodbury and Richfield in the past. Suter said that after two years at the Target on Valley Creek Road in Woodbury, they moved to the Commerce Drive location this year because the event kept getting bigger and they needed a bigger store. “Target is very big on giving back to the community,” added Suter.
