People may notice police cars and fire trucks casually moving around Silver Bay on Saturday, December 13, starting early in the morning, around 7 a.m. The heroes of the police and fire departments, along with other first responders and law enforcement personnel in the area, will be picking up some local kids to “Shop with a Hero.” This year marks the 10th year of the beloved program, started by now-retired Silver Bay Police Chief Doug Frericks.
Chief Frericks, a Silver Bay native, had spent 28 years with the Mankato, MN, police department before coming back to Silver Bay as its police chief in 2014. “We had a ‘Shop with a Cop’ and ‘Shop with a Hero’ during my time in Manka to,” Frericks said. “A number of us, including Silver Bay fire chief Mike Rowlee, talked about ways to give back to the community, and in 2016 we started Shop with a Hero,” he added.
Among the many people Frericks mentioned for helping out, he expressly commented on Anne and Everette Haselow, owners of North Woods Family Grille in Silver Bay. “So many people contribute,” Frericks said. “It’s overwhelming and humbling.”
Longtime Silver Bay fireman Faron Meeks has helped organize the event each year. “We firefighters look at ourselves as servants, not he roes,” he said. Yet he knows that the kids who benefit from “Shop with a Hero” need to see first responders as people, people who have pledged to keep the community safe.
The program’s goal is to bring Christmas joy to families in the area who could use a little extra help during the holiday season. “We work with the school to identify those families that could use some help,” Meeks said.
On Saturday morning, around 7 a.m., the “heroes” pick up the selected children at their homes in police cars and fire trucks, sometimes with lights flashing. The convoy takes the children to the fire hall and then out to share a hearty breakfast at Northwoods Family Grille in Silver Bay. The kids order whatever they like off the menu and North Woods comps the checks.
With full tummies, the kids will have enough money for a shopping spree at Julie’s True Value hardware store. The child (usually the oldest in their family) is to buy gifts for the entire family, plus one for themselves. The shoppers will have had time to prepare a shopping list, pre-shop, and share it with Angie Meeks, co-owner of Julie’s Hardware, to ensure the store is stocked with the items on the list.
After shopping, heroes and shoppers return to Northwoods for some hot chocolate and gift wrapping. Retired hero Doug Frericks will be on hand to assist in wrapping, along with a group of his friends and neighbors from Kane Lake in Silver Creek township. “My friends saw what we were doing, they liked it, and they wanted to volunteer to help.
The day concludes with the kids being driven home in the emergency vehicles to put their presents under the tree. Each child also gets a tote with household and holiday items donated by Julie’s True Value.
“Over the years, we’ve raised over $20,000, which directly helps families in the Silver Bay area,” Faron Meeks said, highlighting how donations make a real difference in the community.
Each year, Faron prepares over 50 letters seeking donations from area businesses and non-profits. “I hand deliver each letter, too,” Faron said. It is well-supported by donations from generous individuals and businesses within the tight-knit Silver Bay community.
Frericks talked about this program as a great way to give back to the kids in the community. He considers it, “One of the proudest moments of my career.”
If you would like to support this program, Faron says that he has a fireman’s boot on the check out counter at Julie’s True Value for cash donations or gift cards. If you’d like to write a check, make it out to Julie’s True Value, write “Shop with a Hero” on the memo section, and mail it to Julie’s True Value, 12 Shopping Center, Silver Bay, MN, 55614.
