The scene could only be described as emotional. Some parents said their kids couldn't fall asleep the night before because they were so happy and excited. These were needy children who live below the poverty line, have single parents, or have other situations that affect their families financially.

Hundreds of local children got the shopping spree of a lifetime Thursday at a local Walmart. And it's all thanks to the generosity of the Washoe County Honorary Deputy Sheriffs Association and the "Shop with the Sheriff" event.

The scene could only be described as emotional. Some parents said their kids couldn't fall asleep the night before because they were so happy and excited. These were needy children who live below the poverty line, have single parents, or have other situations that affect their families financially.

Yunique says “it means the world to [her].”

According to Richie, he thinks of himself as “the greatest kid in the world, so [he] just wants to have the best Christmas.”

Thursday night, Christmas came early for more than 200 local kids.

Each child got $150 to spend and in addition to that, their parents got a $100 gift card for groceries.

Sheriff Mike Haley has volunteered to bring the kids around the store as they shop for several years. He says, “you give ‘em a big hug, you tell them you're here to help and let’s go shopping for toys, it melts them up.”

You’d think these children, who have never been told ‘buy whatever you want,’ would go crazy on toys. But they didn't.

Amy, who is extremely excited about her shopping spree, says it’s important to remember what Christmas is all about. “Christmas isn't just about presents. It's about being with your family.”

Many of the kids at the “Shop with the Sheriff” event put their family first.

“They took my dad to Guatemala they deported him and my dad has diabetes so I came in here and I'm going to buy him a coat,” reflects Maria.

Haley reinforces her point. “They say, ‘my dad needs a coat, my mom needs socks.’”

Yunique is ecstatic because she says she doesn’t have very much at home. She pulls out a bag of underwear, something most might consider to be a basic need that they have plenty of.

Before Thursday night’s shopping spree, Yunique's mom, Barbara Johnson, says she was wondering how she was going to bring Christmas to her youngest child.

“This means a lot to me, I have five kids, Yunique's the youngest. I do have a job but I’m barely making ends meet. This was a real blessing and I really appreciate it.”

The volunteers who took the kids around were from different charities, the S.W.A.T. team, and of course there were also Honorary Deputy Sheriffs. Haley says when children went over the $150 limit, officers reached into their own pockets to make sure those kids got everything on their wish lists.

This year the "Shop with the Sheriff" program helped about ten percent more kids than last year and Thursday night, their faces just lit up.