(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Officer Tiana Hunter tries her skateboarding skills alongside Austin Quinney, 8. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police took 100 children Christmas shopping in Riverton as part of its Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sgt. Lightning waves to kids arriving in police cars for a Christmas shopping spree in Riverton as part of the Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Sgt. Lightning honks a horn and rides around on a kids bike. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police officers pair up with kids and families for a Christmas shopping spree at Walmart in Riverton as part of Shopping with a Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Officer Tiana Hunter snaps a picture of Sgt. Siren with Austin Quinney, 8. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police took 100 children Christmas shopping in Riverton as part of its Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Unified police officer Shannon Coolack smiles as Ouraya Martinez, 7, rides a bicycle for the first time at a Walmart in Riverton while picking out toys during the Shopping With the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) With sirens and lights blazing, the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police arrive with kids in their squad cars for a Christmas shopping spree in Riverton as part of Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Unified police officer Shannon Coolack smiles as Ouraya Martinez, 7, tries on a Grinch mask and declares "I'm going to steal Christmas," during the Shopping with a Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 at a Walmart in Riverton.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Unified patrol officer Troy Anderson helps siblings Alia Peralta, 9, and her brother Miguel, 7, pick out games as part of the Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. Salt Lake County Sheriffs Office and Unified Police officers grew beards, painted nails in festive colors and added color to their hair in an effort to raise funds for the event.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Andre Canham, 7, points out toys he might want as officer Omar Flores joins the fun. The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office and Unified Police took 100 children Christmas shopping at a Walmart in Riverton as part of its Shopping with the Shield program on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. Officers grew beards, painted nails in festive colors and added color to their hair in an effort to raise funds for the event.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Unified Police Department played Santa on Saturday during a Shopping With the Shield event.
This year, the program raised enough money to buy gifts for 100 children and their families, double what it did last year. To encourage donations to the program, officers who gave money were allowed to bypass the normal police grooming policies and grow beards, paint their nails or color their hair bright colors.
