GREENVILLE, N.C. — JC Penney at the Greenville Mall was swarming with police officers last Saturday, but they were not there to catch bad guys. Rather, the police were partnering with the Greenville Noon Rotary to purchase school clothes for area students.

The event, called Shop with a Cop, has supported hundreds of students since it started 17 years ago. Participants are selected by the Greenville Police Department from its Police Athletic League. The Noon Rotary Club purchases the clothing, and JC Penney helps facilitate the effort by opening its store early.

"We have a list of each kid with their sizes and preferences," Noon Rotary's Steve Callendar said. "JC Penney always has discount coupons and a lot of staff support to help everyone find exactly what they need. We had a budget of $150 per student, but JC Penney gave us such great prices that each child got closer to $300 of retail value."

Each child also received a backpack with school supplies provided by Tom and Stacy Quigley.

There were 25 students served during this year's event. Participating Rotarians from more than a dozen local clubs volunteered along with the police officers.