FPD helps students ride to first day of school in style

Fallon Police Department held a contest for all local elementary students on its Facebook page last week with two winners chosen by random who would be chauffeured from their front door to the first day of school on Aug. 12 in a patrol car running their lights and siren.

The idea originated with Capt. John Riley, who said he wasn't sure what brought the idea to mind, but he knew he wanted to give it a try.

Fourth-grader Cambria Underwood rode with Sgt. Joshua Schumann to Numa Elementary School and third-grader Rylee Owens rode with Officer DeWayne Edwards to E.C. Best Elementary School.

On the way to school the students stopped to pick up six dozen doughnuts donated by Walmart for their respective classes.

“I made these fresh this morning just for you,” Walmart Operations Manager Chris Ceresola told them.

Owens said he wanted to enter the contest because it sounded like fun. Underwood said she asked her mom to enter her in the contest because she thought it would be a cool experience.

“I thought it would be funny to see all the people’s reactions,” she said.

Underwood’s mom, Cristan, is the Churchill County School District after-school learning coordinator. She initially thought only her 6-year-old son would be interested, but then her daughter said she wanted to try, too.

“I entered them both on a whim because what a great experience, to start your first day of school being chauffeured by the police department,” Cristan Underwood said. “He (the officer) let my son sit in the car for a few minutes before they left.”

A post on the Fallon Police Department Facebook page said more of these opportunities will become available throughout the year.