On December 10, 2022, staff from the Champaign Police Department (CPD) joined the Stephens Family YMCA “Y on the Fly” team at their new facility for their first event, Cocoa with a Cop. More than 30 parents and children attended the event, which featured hot cocoa and assorted treats, gingerbread houses, a coloring station, build-your-own wreaths, and a visit from Santa. CPD staff assisted children and talked with parents at each of the stations during the two-hour event.
The Y on the Fly space was funded through the Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint to provide afterschool programming. Also joining the event were Acting Community Relations Manager Mary Catherine Roberson from the Equity and Engagement Department and representatives from the University of Illinois Police Department.