There’s no need for guilty pleasures when folks from McHenry and the surrounding regions get together for the MC3 McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce business networking group’s “Shop With A Cop” annual fundraising party from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17 at the VFW on Route 120 east of the bridge. After all, the festivities are for a good cause.

The event, with raffles, silent and live auctions, prizes, live music, food and fun will provide funds so that officers with McHenry County Police Charities can take McHenry area children in need holiday shopping. In party’s first year, it raised $2,600. Last year, the fourth annual event, the party raised $11,000. This year, well, that depends on how many people turn out to help. Of course, with the economy suffering, the need is greater than ever.

Wayne Seely, a member of the MC3 group and a business consultant with Visual Horizons, said that, on a yet-to-be-determined date in the near future, police officers will be assigned to pick up a child in the area for some holiday shopping. He said it’s usually the first week in December.

“The cop picks them up at their door and brings them to Walmart,” Seely said. “The kids are given a $100 shopping voucher.”

He said the MC3 group puts a lot of effort into fundraising for the event. The payback is seeing the looks on children’s faces when they head out on their shopping spree.

When the children are done shopping, they can go straight home with their gifts or they can have the gifts wrapped by MC3 members and other volunteers at 31 North (previously Warsaw Inn – 217 N. Front Street). The recently remodeled banquet hall provides breakfast so that the children can sit down with their police-officer-shopping partners to chat and eat.

Seely said that, other than a few expenses involved in the fundraising event, all the money raised goes directly to “Shop With A Cop.”

He said the children also receive winter coats, hats, boots and gloves at the end of their shopping excursion.

“It’s really touching to see these kids,” Seely said. “Mostly, they’re buying things for their parents and family members. Sometimes, their shopping partners have to remind them to buy something for themselves.”

With the need greater than ever, MC3 and McHenry County Police Charities is hoping for a good turnout Nov. 17. The party is open to anyone who would like to help out some needy children and have some fun doing so.

For more information about the event and/or to contribute something to the auction, visit http://www.mc3online.com/Events.aspx.