While most kids who visit Walt Disney World in Florida choose to spend their time hounding their favorite cartoon characters or princesses for their autographs, a young boy from Massachusetts had someone else in mind.
On a recent trip to the Hollywood Studios theme park, 6-year-old Shayne Welch asked on-duty Orange County Deputy Keith Rogers for his signature, and after his mother shared the photo with the sheriff's office, the story quickly went viral.
It was Shayne's last day at the parks with his parents, his twin brother Gavyn, and his older brother, Robbie, 9. When he was told he could pick something from the gift shop, he chose an autograph book and pen.
"As soon as he saw Deputy Rogers, he asked if he could get his autograph. We walked over to Deputy Rogers, who immediately bent down to Shayne's level and began a conversation with him," Shane's mother, Jennie Welch, TODAY. "He liked Shayne's haircut and commented that when he was a boy, he had a similar cut. We thanked Deputy Rogers and continued through the park. When we were leaving, Shayne insisted on going out the exit near Deputy Rogers. When the Deputy saw him, he yelled out, 'Bye, Shayne!' Shayne looked at me with a huge smile and said, 'Mom, I'm gonna miss him.' "
Jennie, who is a Tewksbury police officer, said it was a proud moment as a parent.
"It was a 'proud mommy' moment for me," she said. "I love that Shayne looks at first responders as heroes -- his mom is a police officer and his dad is a firefighter."
Rogers, an 14-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Office who has been working detail at Disney for more than a decade said that the moment he shared with the boy is quite common for him.
"I frequently take photos (many, many photos), shake hands, high-five, and, yes, sign autographs for kids all the time," he told TODAY.
Rogers, a father to two young children of his own, said the positive interactions he has with children and adults while on detail at Disney World is one of the main reasons he enjoys taking the assignments.
