KIMBALL -- This past Saturday, 22 Kimball kids had the opportunity to join the community’s first responders to go shopping for the holiday season. 

The Kimball Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary group organizes the event each year for police officers and fire fighters to take a select number of Kimball elementary students shopping. 

The event is funded by local donors, then the auxiliary decides how many kids can be part of the program for the year based on the budget.

The kids and their parents start out the morning at the Kimball Fire Hall to enjoy a breakfast provided by the Volunteer Fire Department. They also entered into a raffle in which four kids won bikes, which were donated by Red Night, a local motorcycle group. Then, the kids split up with first responders in their vehicles to begin their shopping trip.

“They drive the kids around and turn on all the lights and sirens and take them shopping at the local Dollar General stores,” said Chelsea Autrey of the auxiliary group Autrey. 

Each kid gets a $100 gift card to spend that day as well as to take home a $50 gift card to the Main Street Market for their families. 

They can shop for themselves and typically choose to pick out gifts for their siblings and parents for Christmas. 

Autrey said, “This program hits two great things: kids are able to have a positive connection with the local heroes in our community - to see them as people that care about them, then to also provide that opportunity for a child to be able to shop for themselves but also be able to give back to their families.”

Autrey coordinates with Jamie Murdoch who teaches at Mary Lynch Elementary to choose the kids to participate in the event. 

Murdoch focuses on the financial needs of the kids’ families first and foremost; those who come from homes with the greatest financial need are prioritized. 

“Since I teach all of the kids in the building, I have a pretty good idea of the needs, and if I am unsure, then I speak with the homeroom teachers,” Murdoch said. “The Main Street Market gift card is a great addition because it helps ease the burden a little bit if these families use it for their Christmas dinner or just for regular groceries.” 

She will also look at students who showcase positive behavior and use this as an opportunity to reward them. 

“I love that this program gives kids the opportunity to go shopping for their family,” Murdoch said. “It is also teaching the spirt of giving and allowing them to have a smile on their face in a month that can be really hard for some kids.” 

The Kimball Police Department, County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department and Nebraska State Patrol were involved in the event this year. The Kimball EMS has joined in previous years’ events. 

Chief of Police Jose Ruiz said this program hits home for him as he was one of those kids whose family's needed assistance to get Christmas gifts. 

“From my experience, it was the Adams County Sheriff that got me a football one of the years I didn’t have anything, and that has always stuck with me,” he said. “Now that I have the chance to do the same thing for the kids in the community that I serve, why wouldn’t we do it?” 

This program is open to Pre-K – 6th graders, but Murdoch and Autrey have discussed expanding it to the Jr./Sr. High students.  

“That seems to be the forgotten age group,” Murdoch said. “I think those older kids get forgotten that they’re still kids.” 

They may not be interested in the whole experience of shopping with the local first responders, but Murdoch wants to provide them with a similar gifting experience that the elementary kids get.