Christmas Shoppe, Cops and Kids captures the holiday spirit

BREWSTER – It took a space the size of the Brewster Boys and Girls Club to hold all the gifts, games and guests at the Brewster Chamber of Commerce annual Christmas Shoppe for Kids and Brewster Police Department Cops and Kids snow safety poster competition held last Saturday, Dec. 16, at the BBGC.
Included were Christmas shops, a police booth, children’s crafts, Santa and Mrs. Claus, children’s games, hot chocolate, cookies and lots of good cheer..
Shoppers by the hundreds descended on the BBGC Saturday afternoon where youngsters up to 12 years of age were able to purchase $1 gifts for family members for Christmas.
After selections were made and paid for, volunteers were on hand to custom wrap each gift so they would be ready for the tree Christmas morning.
When the final numbers were tallied, almost 650 gifts were bought during the three-hour event and there were lots of gifts left over, thanks to the donations and generosity of  community citizens and businesses in the area.
One of the shoppers was eight-year-old Ayden Walsh of Brewster, who lives with his family in Indian Dan Canyon. Walsh said he was looking for just the right gifts for his mother and grandmother.
The Snow Safety Poster contest organized by the Brewster Police Department had no lack of entries as children competed for one of the coveted 20 new sleds given to the winners. Chief Nattalie Cariker called it “a great success.”
Among groups that helped make the weekend celebration a success were the Brewster Police Department, Brewster High School ASB and FFA, Catholic Church youth group, Log Church Christian School, Brewster Boys and Girls Club, Brewster Fire Department, several Brewster City Council members, and Websters Furniture for donating the use of Santa’s chair.