“Boys & Girls club helps East Valley kids ready for school - AZCentral.com” plus 1 more |
| Boys & Girls club helps East Valley kids ready for school - AZCentral.com Posted: 10 Aug 2010 11:01 AM PDT by Weldon B. Johnson - Aug. 10, 2010 10:08 AM The group of adults stood off to one side of the store's entrance, chatting and sipping coffee, while the kids gathered on the opposite side, playfully jostling and talking. Though they started off separately, the two groups met and made fast friendships early Saturday at the Target store at Warner Road and Val Vista Drive. Similar scenes played out at three other Southeast Valley Target stores that morning as kids from various branches of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley were paired up with volunteers for a back-to-school shopping spree.
Each child received a $100 gift card that they used to purchase clothes, shoes and other necessities. The volunteers helped the kids navigate the store, select items and stay within their budgets. Sun Lakes Charities, Intel, Tempe Diablos, Chandler Compadres, Sun Lakes Rotary, Sun Lakes Lion's Club, Chandler Regional Hospital, Tempe South Rotary and Target sponsored the shopping spree. "This is probably the most fun thing we do," said Dee Rasmussen of Sun Lakes Charities. "It's great to see the kids so excited. They scope out the stores ahead of time so they know what they want. The first thing the guys do is go for the shoes." Kids who have their hearts set on a certain shoe or piece of clothing might not be the best judge in determining if that item fits properly, especially if it's the last one in the store. The volunteers offer an objective eye. Mindy Elias, branch executive at the Chandler Compadre club, offered advice to some kids ("They have a lot of clearance stuff here, you can get more that way.") or making a quick phone call to check with a parent on what a particular child needed ("Does Destiny need uniform stuff?"). "We did this earlier with our teens and it took three hours," Elias said. "I made sure they tried everything on to make sure it fit appropriately. It's easier with the younger kids. We had one kid who was in such a hurry to get here this morning she forgot to put on shoes. I think she was planning to get some new ones." The shopping spree wound up about an hour after it began, just in time for the store to open to the public. Store manager Joe Carras helped customers navigate through the throng of kids and volunteers who had gathered near the entrance for post-shopping doughnuts and cookies. The kids were showing each other their purchases and thanking their new friends, the volunteers. Tabitha Plantz, a member of the Chandler club, said a necklace was her favorite purchase, but that wasn't the best part of the day. "The most fun part was meeting new people and finding the things you wanted," Plantz said. "I had a good time." Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
| Kids lace up new sneakers thanks to Bucs - MyFox Tampa Bay Posted: 10 Aug 2010 10:03 AM PDT Updated: Tuesday, 10 Aug 2010, 1:08 PM EDT TAMPA - Hundreds of Bay Area children got the chance to lace up some new kicks thanks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. More than 500 new tennis shoes were given out Tuesday at One Buc Place. The event was a part of the Bucs' Lace It Up For Kids program. "We bring kids from underserved areas and we're giving them shoes to go back to school with," said Miray Holmes, the Bucs' director of community relations. "They start school in a couple of weeks and we want them all to go back with some new shoes." The shoes were packed in black bags with the Buccaneer logo, waiting to be opened by the kids, many of whom come from families on a tight budget. "It really helps a lot, because I'm just one of five and then my mom is a single mom and this really helps out," said Yajaira Estrada, holding a pair of new shoes. The kids also had the chance to meet some of the star Buccaneer players on their visit to the stadium. The Bucs teamed up with the United Way for the giveaway. Five Filters featured article: "Peace Envoy" Blair Gets an Easy Ride in the Independent. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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