Shop with a Cop was held at Rowland's Your Independent Grocer December 11 with Grade 6 students from Saugeen Shores elementary schools and Saugeen Shores Police Service members.

Hub Staff

Students from elementary schools in Saugeen Shores joined officers from Saugeen Shores Police Service (SSPS) to help collect donations for the Salvation Army Food Bank and compete for a $100 reward from the Rotary clubs of Port Elgin and Southampton. Rowland’s Independent donated $100 worth of food from each school team and an extra $100 for the Food Bank.

Two Grade 6 students from each of the schools teamed up with a SSPS member for the annual Shop With a Cop held at Rowland’s Independent in Port Elgin, December 11. The event, organized by the Rotary clubs of Southampton and Port Elgin, sees a friendly competition between four teams, each given the task of filling their shopping cart with up to $100 worth of perishable items to donate to the Salvation Army Food Bank.

Salvation Army volunteer Diane Thorne advised the participants to choose items that they like to take for their school lunches and thanked everyone for enabling them to help so many local families and individuals.

“We will see to it that those who need it will receive it,” committed Thorne.

The teams, each consisting of two students and one SSPS member, were challenged to fill their cart as close to $100 worth of groceries as possible, without going over. Before setting out Rowland's Independent owner Scott Rowland warned shoppers that some products will have tax added which will be included in their total. To assist with their calculations, the competitors were allowed a calculator and writing tools.

Auxiliary Officer Zack Zadow led the St Joseph’s team with students Julie Heenan and Evan Morrison. Reigning champ for two years running, Constable Chantel Primeau, confidently pushed the Northport Elementary School cart flanked by students Aidan Gaughan and Abigail Aasman. Sergeant Andy Evans with École Port Elgin Saugeen Central students Cooper Pope and Nicholas Harrison were tight lipped about their strategy, not wanting to give anything away to their competitors. New to the scene was Constable Susan Briggs and GC Huston Public School students Alexis Rennick and Ava Burgess who admitted they had no real plan of action but would hope for the best.

The teams had only 30 minutes fill their carts before hitting the checkout. Competitors rolled up and down the aisles searching for bargains, tallying prices and watching their time. All teams kept a clean game, with no collisions or foul play reported. In the end, the GC Huston team came out on top with an impressive total of $98.90. The winning school received $100 from the Rotary clubs and $50 went to each of the other participating schools.

The Salvation Army Food Bank received four carts of food donations plus an additional $100 donated by Scott Rowland.

Team GC Huston with Constable Susan Briggs and students Ava Burgess (left) and Alexis Rennick, took the $100 grand prize from the Rotary clubs of Port Elgin and Southampton with the closest grocery total of total of $98.90 at the December 11 Shop With A Cop at Rowland’s Independent in Port Elgin.

Northport Elementary School participant Abigail Aasman double checked her calculations during the annual Shop With a Cop event held at Rowland’s Independent in Port Elgin December 11.

Sergeant Andy Evans carefully examined a soup can while Grade 6 students from École Port Elgin Saugeen Central School, Cooper Pope and Nicholas Harrison, kept track of their grocery bill of items at the Rotary clubs Shop with a Cop event. Rotary Clubs’ Shop With a Cop.

Auxiliary Officer Zack Zadow and St. Joseph’s students Julie Heenan (centre) and Evan Morrison stand in front of their cart full of food donations to go to the Salvation Army Food Bank. This team trailed the winners by just a few dollars with a total of $94.39 at the annual Shop With A Cop event December 11.

The champions of the Saugeen Shores Rotary clubs’ Shop With a Cop were Grade 6 students Alexis Rennick (left) and Ava Burgess, with Constable Susan Briggs. This team filled their cart with noodles, pasta sauces, cereals, granola bars, soups, oatmeal and more to reach the winning total of $98.90.