NEWS
Gift Baskets from Families Show Police Officers How Much They’re Valued
Crystal Russell, Davidson resident and wife of Davidson Police Corporal Scott Russell, has been trying to figure out a way to show appreciation for the members of the Davidson Police Department for years. Inspired by the recent medical challenges of Davidson Sgt. Cindy Smith and death-in-the-line-of-duty of Mooresville K9 Officer Jordan Sheldon, she decided to create Adopt-a-Cop—Davidson, modeled on Mooresville’s similar community program.
“I know firsthand how dedicated our officers are and how they support our community, so I wanted to find a way to give back to them,” said Russell.
This July, she created the “Adopt-a-Cop – Davidson” Facebook group and encouraged families to adopt a cop. She matched up families with sworn officers and civilian employees and on Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19, families gave gift baskets to each one. The Davidson College Campus Store and Main Street Books also made contributions.
“This is just the beginning of how we’d like to give back,” said Russell, who has brought on two other community members, Carol Corey and Cristina Shaul, to help with growing the program. “We are so grateful for the generosity and support of our families and community members.”
An additional opportunity to help support the Davidson Police Department include attending National Night Out on Tuesday, August 6 from 5-7 p.m. at Roosevelt Wilson Park. The Adopt-a-Cop program is also trying to match up officers with our local schools to enhance relationships with students, administrators, teachers, and coaches.
For more information, join the Facebook page.
Cristina Shaul
Cristina Shaul has lived in Davidson with her family since 2005, is the founder of ReadDavidson, an annual community-wide reading initiative, and is the former Communications Director at the Town of Davidson. She believes Davidson’s sense of community and the people who live here are our greatest assets.