By Leslie Castillo
leslie.castillo@waylandpost.org

More than 175 police officers from Wayland and surrounding communities showed up at the Framingham Walmart on Dec. 16 for the 9th annual Shop with a Cop event. Wayland’s Police Chief Ed Burman was one of its original founders.
Students, who had previously signed up for Shop with a Cop and were selected by their principals, used their allotted $50 to shop for themselves and their families. After a quick check-in that included a greeting from Santa, candy, and hot chocolate, the youngsters, caregivers and officers hit the aisles in search of their favorite things. Some popular items chosen included basketballs, Barbies, and Bratz dolls. One young man insisted, “For me, it’s all about the Legos.”

While the selections varied, one common theme resounded – happiness. Both the officers and children shared easy banter and conversations about their favorite shows, sports, and classes. Young and old were beaming as they meandered around the store and seemed equally ecstatic about participating.
“For me, tonight is all about the kids,” said Wayland Officer Shane Bowles. “To see them happy and to share this time with them (makes it worthwhile).”
The students could spend their money on anything they wanted, except gift cards. Well, almost anything. Bowles, the School Resource Officer, showed patience and kindness when one hopeful student asked if she could purchase Wayland’s friendly, familiar, comfort dog, Archie. ”Not tonight. Maybe when you are older,” he explained.
Chief Burman brought genuine enthusiasm and a contagious energy to the event.
“All of the officers here tonight are volunteering their time,” said Burman. ”This is a program that is made possible from generous donations from community businesses, and from the police, fire, school and other unions.”
Officers and students had a chance to bond and spend quality time together during the shopping expedition. After checking out, students and their families shared an in-store meal of Chik-Fil-A before departing.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday the White House will host the “Patriot Games,” a competition with young athletes from across the country, as part of the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary next year.

“In the fall, we will host the first ever Patriot Games, an unprecedented four-day athletic event featuring the greatest high school athletes — one young man and one young woman from each state and territory,” Trump said.

Democrats have mocked the athletic competition online, comparing it to “The Hunger Games,” a dystopian young adult novel and popular movie franchise in which children are forced to fight to the death in televised arenas.

The president revealed the plans for the Patriot Games in a video announcement from Freedom 250, which was launched Thursday. It is a “a national, non-partisan organization leading the Administration’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday,” according to a news release.

Trump previously previewed the competition in July, saying at the time it would be televised and led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.

During the video, Trump also highlighted his plans to begin construction soon on a new arch monument in the nation’s capital.

“We are the only major place without a triumphal arc. A beautiful triumphal arc, one like in Paris, where they have the great, a beautiful arc. They call it the Arc de Triomphe, and we’re going to have one in Washington, D.C., very soon,” Trump said.

A UFC fight on the South Lawn is another of Trump’s ideas for the 250th celebration and will take place on his birthday, June 14.

“On Flag Day, we will have a one-of-a-kind UFC event here at the White House. It’ll be the greatest champion fighters in the world, all fighting that same night. The great Dana White is hosting, and it’s going to be something special,” Trump said.

Trump has long touted his desire to shape the nation’s 250th celebrations. In the past year, the Trump administration has moved quickly to align federal funding with the president’s anniversary priorities, and agencies have followed suit.

The Department of Agriculture, for instance, has embraced the president’s Great American State Fair initiative. The idea was first floated by Trump on the campaign trail in 2023, and it asks states to compete to have their fair chosen by Trump as the “most patriotic.”

Meanwhile, the White House is conducting a sweeping review of the Smithsonian Institution and has demanded the 250th content at the nation’s largest museum complex renews national pride.

The Luka Doncic Foundation, which was established by the Los Angeles Lakers star in 2024 to empower and inspire young athletes worldwide, is celebrating World Basketball Day and a year of important progress with the launch of several new initiatives aimed at reshaping the youth sports landscape.

According to the press release, the Foundation has been guided by the mission that sports should be something kids love and want to keep coming back to and is working to protect that belief in a few different ways: developing new approaches to coaching in youth basketball; taking a hard look at how the youth basketball system actually works and where it breaks down; and, building a global athlete support program to help kids across all sports keep playing when barriers get in the way.

“Each of these partnerships was carefully developed to move the Luka Doncic Foundation forward in pursuit of its mission to ensure youth sports are a joyful, enriching force in the lives of kids around the world,” noted Foundation CEO Lara Beth Seager. “These initiatives are helping us lay the groundwork for a future where every child has the opportunity to thrive through sports – regardless of their background or circumstance.”

“I’m so proud of all of the work we’ve accomplished in the year since we’ve launched, and I can’t wait to see what else we can do together,” said Doncic. “If we can continue providing opportunities to young athletes, and making sports more accessible and fun, I’ll know we did something right.”

Included in these new initiatives is the development of the Total Hoops Curriculum, which is working to develop a pilot curriculum and implementation toolkit that develops and supports a system of coaching that allows kids to play freely, embrace mistakes, and rediscover their love of the game.

To showcase and test this new curriculum, the Foundation will partner with the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA to host a pilot clinic during NBA All-Star 2026. Newly trained Total Hoops Approach coaches will work with 100 youth athletes ages 9-15 from across Los Angeles to test new techniques aimed at reminding kids what sports can give them – friendship, confidence, and joy – and helping coaches make the court a place they want to return to.

Additionally, this coming spring, the Foundation will open applications to athletes ages 12-15 from all sports in U.S.A., U.K., China (PRC), France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia providing grants to help overcome barriers to participation.

Per the Luka Doncic Foundation, World Basketball Day is about more than just basketball. It’s a day to celebrate everything the sport brings to its young athletes – joy, connection, and a sense of belonging. Protecting that mission is at the core of the foundation, and each of these initiatives and partnerships are meant to further that ideal.

Luka Doncic buys E-bikes for teammates and Lakers staff

Luka Doncic has constantly displayed his generosity through the work of his foundation, but he also recently extended that to his teammates and Lakers staff members by buying them all E-bikes to celebrate the holiday season.

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