10-year-old cooks up positive police relations
LANSING, Mich. -- Michael the Archangel is considered the patron saint of police officers, watching over them from the heavens. Looking out for them on Earth is an apprentice angel named Jeremie.
No one ever said all police officers were bad, but with all the protests this year, you could understand how someone might get that impression -- especially a little someone.
"It makes me really sad," said Jeremie.
After seeing one of the protests on the news, 10-year-old Jeremie Bordua of Lansing, Michigan -- who always wanted to be a police officer -- asked his mom Marcella if he had picked the wrong profession.
"He goes, 'Mom, the cops are still the good guys, right?' And I said, 'Yeah, there are some bad police officers. And there are still the good ones that are trying to protect themselves.'"
Jeremie got that, but he still didn't like the idea of good police officers being called bad names. It felt like bullying to him
"I've been picked on ever since I was in kindergarten," Jeremie explained.
Jeremie saw a little bit of himself in the police officers, and he wanted to do something about it.
Jeremie came up with the idea of a thank you party. And when she tried to explain they didn't have money for that, Jeremie offered a solution -- to give up his next birthday party.
"Because the police are more important than any birthday party," said Jeremie.
When Marcella realized how sincere Jeremie was, she agreed to help him do it up right. All summer they have been making and selling cookies to raise money for the party. And all summer, officers have been showing up in droves to thank him.
"He tapped into something huge," said Michelle Bryant with the Lansing Police Department."It was very uplifting and it did start to improve morale. He would stop in and deliver cookies and you could just see it on the officer's faces. They would light up."
The party will be next February on Jeremie's 11th birthday. They're expecting hundreds of officers to attend -- from all over central Michigan. And although Jeremie has surrendered his birthday for the cause, his mom says he has already received a great gift.
"He's positive. He's happy. He couldn't wait to go to school," she said.
Could that be because he has the whole police force on his side?
"I think it has a lot to do with that."
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To contribute to Jeremie's project you may reach his mother at: jeremiescookiesforacause@gmail.com. His family has also setup a GoFundMe Page.
