During the Whitehall-Coplay School Board meeting Dec. 18, an update on the Dec. 7 inaugural Zephyr Express holiday event was given.

While WCSD calls it Zephyr Express, many know it as Shop with a Cop. The goal was to not only bring gifts to children who need them, but help them foster a positive relationship with police officers in the area.

The event was fully funded by donations from families and local businesses.

Donors included the Mia Due Memorial Fund, Overhead Door Company, Whitehall Active Community Center, Jay H. Gilbert and family, Szewczak family, Sam’s Club, Chick-fil-A, Burlington, Whitehall Area Rotary Club, Lori Ann Fehnel, Dakota Galusha Memorial Fund, Whitehall Lions Club, LVHN Public Safety, Mission BBQ, Fellowship Community, Christmas City Studio and Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce. All other donors wished to be anonymous.

School Resource Officer Matt Christman, with Whitehall Township Police Department, spoke about his experience with the event and the positive outcome he noticed within the students and adults involved.

“I really can’t say enough about this event,” Christman said. “I think it gave us, as first responders, a pretty unique opportunity to not only spend quality time with the kids, but build good, positive relationships with them.”

Christman then shared a story about the eighth-grade student he was paired with that day. He said the student looked at him with a smile and said, “I’m so happy because this is the first time I had an opportunity to get presents for my family.”

Christman said this was the goal of the event, and it was a success.

In other business, the board heard updates from a Whitehall High School Student Council representative. She reported the boys and girls basketball teams have had recent success, the theater program is preparing to put on the show “Mean Girls,” the chorus program was featured on WFMZ’s Saturday Sunrise, and high school students have been helping the younger grades with Christmas festivities.

The Student Council representative explained they can earn service hours by helping. She added the Helper Helper volunteer tracking app and volunteer platform has been easy to use. She thanked the board for choosing this platform to assist students in navigating the new community service hour graduation requirement.

The board was then presented a video about the high school’s new Elf on the Shelf challenge being played throughout the hallways. Students are to look for the elf throughout the school, take a photo, tag Student Council and win a prize.

The Whitehall High School concert band performed carols for the board, followed by beautiful tunes by the high school’s chorus.