Academy Sports + Outdoors gave 30 kids from the Boys and Girls Club in Tulsa each a $100 gift card to buy uniforms, backpacks, shoes, gym clothes and other school supplies.
Kim Geihsler, Manager at Academy Sports in Tulsa, said the store understands the need; back to school shopping is expensive. "We just wanted to help curb some of the expenses, every little bit helps out," Geihsler said.
Boys and Girls Clubs representatives said for parents, the gift card truly owns up to its name. "With that one magical card right there, parents are smiling from ear to ear," said Unit Director of the Mabee Red Shield Boys and Girls Club, Jerome Smith.
The children were greeted at the store with the $100 gift card. They got help choose the back to school items and learned how to budget their money along the way.
Adriene is the mother of five school age children, she said it costs about $1500 dollars to buy school supplies and necessities for the school year. "It can get hectic," Adriene said. "Once they went to the uniforms that kind of added to the pressure."
Smith said that parents around Green Country are feeling the financial strain this time of the year. He said he and the Boys and Girls Club were thankful that Academy helped them to take some of the burden off of parents. "At one time they get a long list of products that they got buy," said Smith, "Without help like this it is tough on parents in need."
Adriene said the school supply list seems to get longer and longer every year and the money helped with other necessities like uniforms or backpacks.
"It truly is a blessing to be able to have a hundred dollars per child so that was very nice."
