Officers from the Buffalo Grove Police Department have spent the summer in “chill” mode with local youth, partnering with a popular convenience store chain to offer a treat to youngsters for their good deeds and more.
As part of an effort to “celebrate community this summer” the police department has been participating in “Operation Chill” where kids have been given coupons for a free Slurpee-brand cold treat at 7-Eleven, according to a Buffalo Grove Police Department news release.
Deputy Chief Brian Spolar told Pioneer Press in an email that the department’s participation will run “through the end of summer, or until all the coupons have been distributed.”
Kids under age 18 are able to get a coupon, he said.
This year marks the 29th year the national convenience store chain has teamed up with local police departments to distribute the free drink coupons to children through its Operation Chill community service program, the release explains.
Buffalo Grove police engage with local youth and provide the Slurpee coupons as a reward for “good deeds, constructive activities and acts of kindness,” including helping others, helping prevent crime, wearing their bike helmet and other acts of safety, or by being involved in a community- or police department-sponsored event, according to the release.
“Rewarding positive behaviors fosters better relationships between our local children and our police officers, and it promotes a culture of kindness,” police Chief Brian Budds stated in the release. “Our local youth are our future, and this program helps them build others up and foster pride and community spirit.”
