BLM Law Enforcement honored to bring joy of the season to community

Every year, a group of northern Arizona first responders and businesses give voluntary donations to children throughout the community to share the experience and joy of the holiday season.  

“I love Christmas,” said Alie Malnack, who organizes the “Shop with a Hero,” program for the City of Page, Arizona’s police department. “I have really good holiday memories growing up and for families in need, I want to make sure they have those special memories as well,” Malnack said. 

The goal of the program, which serves residents from communities in and surrounding Page as well as communities from neighboring Tribal reservations, is to provide a Christmas experience for 100 underserved children every year. Volunteers sit down with the child and parent for a donated breakfast and then head to an area store where children, accompanied by first responders, pick out donation funded Christmas gifts and enjoy a sense of wide-eyed wonder reminiscent to many, of the Christmas season.  

The program changed names last year to “Shop with a Hero,” as the group of volunteers grew and expanded to include a wide range of first responders who generously support the program with time and donations.  

“We have firefighters, park rangers, law enforcement, crime scene specialists, dispatch and administrative staff as well as adult and juvenile probation officers, so we decided to call it shop with a hero,” Malnack said. 

The Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip District’s Law Enforcement Rangers joined this year’s rank of volunteers.  

“Supporting the program is a positive experience for both the child and the first responder. It allows the children to see first responders as people and interact with them in a way that they normally don't,” said BLM law enforcement ranger Travis Legler. “At the end of the day, it's all about community involvement and building bridges,” he said. The trust that is formed can also help youth feel more comfortable in reaching out to first responders for help, remembering the experience they had during the event.  

In fact, Malnack says, some of the employees at the City of Page police department participated in the program as children. “They had such wonderful memories—they just want to pay it forward to others now,” she said. 

"This is such a special event, we’re very honored Travis was able to be a part of it,” said BLM Arizona Strip District’s lead law enforcement ranger John Sims.

“Without help from our fellow first responders and businesses, the event would not be possible. It really takes the community’s help to support this every year,” Malnack said.