One of the saddest aspects of the Christmas season is knowing full well that there are children next week who won’t have any gifts under the tree.

That’s why it is admirable so many step up to the plate to take these deserving youngsters out shopping.

That was the case on Saturday when Ironton Police and the city schools, plus volunteers, took 25 from the middle school shopping.

However, the question is why did those organizers feel it necessary to go across the Ohio River into Kentucky to take the children shopping in the Ashland Town Center mall?

Granted, the selection there is larger than in downtown Ironton —more shops, more things to buy, a food court.

But why is that or is it because there still remains less support for developing a thriving downtown Ironton than there should be?

There are some viable stores in downtown that could have afforded many of the same items.

Did organizers bother to check out if these stores could come up with something special for the event?

If those selections didn’t appeal, there was still Wal-Mart in South Point, where the other Shop with the Cop event goes. That would have at least kept the tax dollars in Lawrence County.

But for Ironton officials to head straight to another state seems at the very least shortsighted.