COLORADO SPRINGS – A busy day at the chapel hills mall full of fun activities and even some teachable moments for shoppers.
“Shopping for two teenage boys, always fun,” said Patrick Kertson.
Many, skipping the stores and lining up to see Santa.
“We had to, it was one of those days,” said mother Jabon Rivera.
Others, taking advantage of the holiday activities, like ornament-making.
There’s an opportunity to make some featuring pictures of furry loved ones.
The money paid for them goes towards funding the Old Mutt Hut, a sanctuary for old dogs.
“Every two dollars that we get ensures that every dog gets exactly the kind of care that they need.”
Upstairs, fans lining up to see a different kind of dog: Dog the Bounty Hunter!
Duane “Dog” Chapman said the interactions were a much-needed pick-me-up for him, especially now that his wife is struggling with health issues.
“Well it’s uplifting to meet the fans, it keeps your mind off of some things that are going on in my personal life. And everyone is you know ‘Dog we love you, we love Beth. And we’re praying’ and those words mean a lot,” he said.
“I love being in Colorado and getting to meet my people.”
Health issues, though, can also cause problems for shoppers.
An ambulance responded to a minor medical call, serving as a teachable moment.
“You get a lot of folks this time of the year who come from out of town, from out-of-state and they’re not used to the altitude so they come to the mall and they try to do that as far as a lot of shopping but again, just hydrate, drink plenty of water,” said Ed Beane, manager of the Chapel Hills Mall.
And as we saw yesterday outside the Citadel Mall, safety scares can happen right in the middle of a busy shopping day.
So what should you do to stay protected?
“Know where you parked, talk with your family before separate to do some shopping,” said Beane, who has an extensive background working in security.
And it’s a tip families are already putting into practice.
Kertson said, “I decided one: where are we going to meet and what time are we going to meet? We had all that planned out beforehand.”
“Just say ‘hey we’re going to meet this area, this time, if you need more time let me know or if you’re done early, text me,'” added his 17-year-old son Michael Kertson.
