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Mahoning deputies help make these kids' Christmases bright
By Bob Jackson
BOARDMAN
Sometimes, it’s a good thing to be within reach of the law’s long arm.
Forty youths from around the area found that out Saturday when they got the chance to pair up with deputy sheriffs for a trip to McDonald’s for breakfast, followed by some Christmas shopping and a movie, all courtesy of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 141.
“All the deputies who come out for this are volunteering their time,” said T.J. Assion, Lodge 141 president. “We look forward to this all year, and we start raising funds for it in September.”
Assion, who is stepping down as lodge president at the end of this year, said the union coordinates the effort with the local Salvation Army.
“The requests for need go through them,” he said. “Then we just take it from there.”
The young shoppers were driven to McDonald’s on Boardman-Canfield Road, where they were treated to breakfast. Then, they were loaded into limousines and driven to Kmart on Boardman-Poland Road, escorted by sheriff’s cruisers with lights and sirens blaring.
“When people asked us who was in the limos, we told them it was Justin Bieber,” said Assion, laughing.
Each child was given a gift card worth $110 and had about an hour to spend shopping, whether for themselves or for their family and friends.
Deputy Lenny Burke said he’s participated in the event nearly every year because he likes what it represents.
“It’s a nice way to give back to the community,” said Burke. “That’s the spirit of Christmas, to give something to someone who maybe doesn’t have so much.”
Likewise, Deputy Stephanie Harchar said her participation each year is “all about the kids.” Harchar said she is always impressed by how much the youngsters want to buy things for others, and not so much for themselves.
“A couple years ago, I was shopping with this little boy, and he got a gift for everyone in his family, but nothing for himself, so I made him go and get himself something, too,” Harchar said. “He was just so stinkin’ cute.”
She was paired Saturday with 6-year-old Jordan Franklin of Youngstown, who had snagged, among other things in his shopping cart, a Star Wars Edition of Angry Birds.
“He’s looking for a little bit of everything,” Harchar said.
Jordan’s 12-year-old sister, Cierra, was looking for clothes for herself and said the limo ride down U.S. Route 224 was a blast. She was shopping with Barb Iberis, the wife of incoming lodge president Deputy Joe Iberis.
Nefertiti Morgan, 14, of Youngstown, was matched up with Mary Rhinehart, who is retired from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Rhinehart’s husband, Deputy Dale Rhinehart, was elsewhere in the store shopping with Nefertiti’s sister.
Nefertiti said she wanted to buy boots, earrings and pajamas for herself.
“But the first thing she put in her cart was a basketball hoop for her [2-year-old] brother, Ezire,” Mary Rhinehart said.
Frankie Bracero, 14, grew up in New York City and now lives in Boardman. He was shopping with Deputy Steve Schreffler and had loaded his cart with things for his mom and his girlfriend.
“I got a pair of socks and some headphones for myself, but I really wanted to shop for some other people today,” said Bracero. “I wanted to do something different.”
After shopping, the kids were taken to Cinemark Movies 8 in Boardman for a private showing of “Frankenweenie” and a snack.
Besides the 25 or so deputies who took part, several elected officials also were in the store to greet the kids and help them shop. They included Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, who, along with her 5-year-old daughter, Lillie, met shoppers at the door and handed each of them a candy cane.
Judge Diane Vettori of the Mahoning County Area Court in Sebring, county Commissioner Carol Rimedio Righetti, and state Sen. Joe Schiavoni also took part.