Harrisburg men’s basketball team participates in annual 'Shop With a Cop' event

MIDDLETOWN, Pa.  - The Penn State Harrisburg men's basketball team joined local law enforcement officers to treat local children to a holiday shopping spree at Ollie's Bargain Outlet for the fourth annual "Shop With a Cop" event on Dec. 8. 

"Today was such a wonderful experience for our program," said Don Friday, Penn State Harrisburg men's basketball head coach. "The young men on our team were tremendous with helping lift up the young people in our local communities." 

Friday was joined by all 15 Penn State Harrisburg players, three assistant coaches, one team manager, and six law enforcement officers, including Penn State Harrisburg Officer Phil Peng, Middletown Police Department's Adam Tankersley and Swatara Township Police Department's Chris Seiler. They accompanied 23 children from Middletown, Steelton and Swatara Township, who were gifted the opportunity to purchase about $100 of merchandise at Ollie's Bargain Outlet on Jonestown Road in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

In addition to helping the children select their gifts, the student-athletes and police officers used their time together as a mentoring opportunity. 

"Today was a true blessing," Tankersley said. "Getting the opportunity to team up with local agencies, as well as the Penn State Harrisburg men's basketball team, is always a good time. Helping the community has and always will be our purpose."

The event was made possible by the support of Enterprise Holdings of Central Pennsylvania and Ollie's Bargain Outlet executive leadership.

Since its inception, the goal of the program has been to spread holiday joy to children from under-resourced families and serve as "possibility models" for the children, in hopes that they excel as people, students and athletes. The local law enforcement officers share a passion for helping children in local communities and have been allies of Penn State Harrisburg's men's basketball program, serving as mentors in recent years.  

Friday summed up the impact his players made, saying, "I told them afterwards, today was the greatest assist any of you will record this season."