PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — When Fort Fairfield Police Chief Shawn Newell walked into the Presque Isle Walmart on the evening of Wednesday, Dec. 12, he had no idea he was about to take part in a youngster’s small but dedicated mission to give children a happy Christmas morning.
That was the night Newell ran into 11-year-old Isaac Gillen of Blaine, who stood near one of the store’s Angel Trees with his mother, Amy Gillen. Isaac had won a $25 Walmart gift card after selling the most Christmas wrapping paper for a contest. But instead of buying the latest toys and gadgets for himself, Isaac decided to purchase toys for children whose families cannot afford to buy many gifts for the holiday.
“I was so moved by the fact that Isaac was willing to spend his own money on other children. It almost brought me to tears,” said Newell, who is a family friend of the Gillens. “I told him, ‘If you’re going to do it, I will too.’”
The Angel Trees, located at Walmart stores across the country, are a program of the Salvation Army that places children’s holiday wish lists on a Christmas tree instead of the usual ornaments. Shoppers are then invited to take as many wish lists as they can and purchase toys that local Salvation Army volunteers will deliver to those children.
Newell and Isaac spent much of the evening in the Walmart toy section picking out gifts for their respective “angels.” Newell picked a wish list that requested Pokemon toys, while Isaac decided to choose two lists, one that asked for an action figure and another that requested a slime kit.
Although the wish lists only required that Isaac buy one action figure and one slime kit, he bought two of each item because he wanted the children to have an even more special Christmas. With Newell’s help, Isaac was able to spend the entire $25 gift card on Angel Tree toys.
“I wanted to spend as much money on the kids as I could,” Isaac said. “I think it’s good to give to people who are less fortunate. They deserve to have the same things for Christmas that others have.”
Isaac’s generosity was no surprise to his mother, who said he has always had a giving spirit toward people.
“Even when he was a little kid, he would feel really bad if we saw a homeless person walking on the street,” Amy Gillen said. “He has a big heart. To see him and Shawn shopping together and having so much fun was really cool.”
Soon after their shopping trip, Newell wrote about his experience on the Fort Fairfield Police Department’s Facebook page. Since then, 400 people have shared the post and over 200 people have commented about how Isaac’s story inspired them and brought them joy during the holiday season.
Meanwhile, Newell and Isaac have already talked about making the Angel Tree their own Christmas tradition and seeing what other ways they can make a positive impact on the community.
“After I left the store that night, I kept thinking about the chances that Isaac and I would actually run into each other like that at just the right time. It feel like it was meant to be,” Newell said. “I know for sure that Isaac has given so many people the spirit of Christmas this year. We need more Isaacs in the world.”
Isaac said that he would definitely want to partner with Newell again next year and perhaps convince more of his peers to get involved.
“It feels good to help other people,” he said.
