18 Photos: Joliet Police 36th Annual Santa's Cops, Look At The Joy On The Kids' Faces!

JOLIET, IL — More than 85 officers with the Joliet Police Department — including several who just got off work after working the midnight shift — converged upon the Route 59 Walmart store on Saturday morning to participate in the department's biggest charity event of the year: Santa's Cops.

The Santa's Cops program is now in its 36th year. The event originally started at the old Kmart store at Larkin and Jefferson Street. In recent years, the police department has partnered with the Walmart store on Route 59 near Shorewood.

At least 80 children whose families are screened for the program come from the Joliet area and are among the community's most needy, according to Joliet Police Department spokesman Dwayne English. The officers volunteer their time and partner with a child, walking through the Walmart store to pick out Christmas toys and gifts for the children or their family members.

Each child gets a gift card allowing them to spend $175.

Joliet Patch produced a couple of Facebook Live videos and here is my photo gallery showcasing the event.