Sheriff's Office

For Immediate Release

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam, Deputy Sheriffs, Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association, and volunteers bring Christmas to more than 100 local families in need

Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam and more than 40 Deputy Sheriffs, Washoe County Honorary Deputy Sheriffs, and family members participated in a modified 18^th Annual Shop with the Sheriff drive-through distribution event last Saturday, December 19, 2020.

Watch the 18th Annual Shop with the Sheriff distribution event here

A yearly event, Shop with the Sheriff is traditionally held inside a participating Walmart Supercenter wherein children are partnered with a member of the Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association or a volunteer from the Sheriff’s Office and are taken on a storewide shopping adventure. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s event was modified for safety purposes.

“Nothing was going to stop Shop with the Sheriff,” said Sheriff Balaam. “We were going to do it somehow, some way. This is the one event of the year that the Sheriff’s Office holds which makes a sizable impact for families in our community. Shop with the Sheriff is for the children. We want them to have clothing for the winter, toys, and the spirit of Christmas. This season is all about family, and everybody rallying together.”

Between November 23, 2020 – December 14, 2020 Washoe County Sheriff’s Office staff and volunteers adopted families and shopped for family members utilizing a personalized wish list. Thanks to generous funding donated by the Washoe County Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association, 105 families were gifted with $500 worth of Christmas gifts as well as essential household items and personal hygiene products.

Gifts and items were distributed on Saturday to nearly 450 individuals who were pre-selected to participate this year through local non-profit social services agencies and the Washoe County School District.

Additional support for Shop with the Sheriff was generously provided by Walmart, Toys for Tots, AT&T Pioneers, Doughboy’s Donuts, Starbucks, The Home Depot, Amazon, and numerous other community members who wish to remain unnamed.

“On behalf of the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office I want to thank all of the Sheriff’s Office community, the Washoe County Honorary Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Walmart, and our partnering agencies,” Balaam continued. “Without each of you coming together with us, we could not have made Shop with the Sheriff happen. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making a difference and making this year’s holiday season special - even more so under challenging conditions.” 

Photo 1 - gifts prepared for distribution
Photo 2 - Sheriff Darin Balaam handing out hot cocoa
Photo 3 - Undersheriff Wayne Yarbrough handing out stuffed animals
Photo 4 - Chief Deputy Jeffrey Clark handing out stuffed animals
Photo 5 - WCSO deputies distributing gifts
Photo 6 - Recipients of Shop with the Sheriff
Photo 7 - Sheriff Darin Balaam and his wife, Heather, who is a retired WCSO deputy

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.

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