Christmas is about to become brighter for needy kids in St. Joseph County.

The annual “Shop with a Cop” event takes place Thursday night with the St. Joseph County Sheriff’s Department and 30-35 kids in need, according to organizers.

The Burger King on Grape Road in Mishawaka will donate dinner for the kids at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. That will be followed up by the officers taking the kids to the Meijer on Portage Road in South Bend at 8 p.m. so they can shop for Christmas gifts for their families.

The children range from the ages of six and 13. St. Joseph County has hosted a “Shop with a Cop” event for over 20 years.

The following was written by Darrin Wright

Donations are still being accepted ahead of Monday’s “Shop with a Cop” effort in LaGrange County.

Officers and volunteers will take approximately 20 children who wouldn’t normally have had much for Christmas, take them to a Meijer location in Sturgis, MI, and allow each to spend $120 to shop for themselves or others.

After the shopping trip, each child will be taken to a location where they will wrap presents and be treated to a pizza dinner before returning home.