photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

Local law enforcement spent Friday morning taking Douglas County kids shopping for the holidays.

The event Take Our Youth Shopping, or TOYS, is sponsored by the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center, 708 Elm St. It began at 8:15 a.m. on Friday, when members of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Lawrence Police Department, the University of Kansas Police Department, Baldwin City and Eudora Police, and the Kansas Highway Patrol started the day eating breakfast with area children at McDonald’s, 1309 W. Sixth St., before heading to Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, to do some shopping.

The Ballard center has been holding the event for 12 years, said Kyle Roggenkamp, CEO with the center, in an email to the Journal-World. It benefits 30 children from the center who are old enough to make the trip. Money for the children’s gifts was donated by Stern Risk Partner.

“Each child gets $50 to shop for one personal small gift and the rest goes to household necessities for their family members,” Roggenkamp said.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement eat breakfast with kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at McDonald’s, 1309 W. Sixth St., on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County law enforcement take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County Undersheriff Stacey Simmons participated alongside other area law enforcement to take kids from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center holiday shopping at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive, on Dec. 1, 2023.

photo by: Contributed

Douglas County area law enforcement pose with children from the Elizabeth B. Ballard Community Center during the Take Our Youth Shopping holiday event on Dec. 1, 2023, at Walmart, 550 Congressional Drive.