CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Who doesn’t want a free shopping spree? Well, that’s exactly what students from T.G. Elementary School in Corpus Christi got on Sunday at JC Penney.
Each student’s clothes were tax-free and they received 25% off on top of a $100 gift card. That totaled to about $135 in clothes!
“I’m shopping for jeans and like clothes for school and stuff. And for like cheerleading because I have cheerleading on Wednesdays,” Mia Flores, a student at the school said.
The shopping spree was funded by Fish for Life, an organization that mentors kids, but it was Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo who got an anonymous person to donate the money for the shopping spree.
“Children don’t necessarily know or understand what’s happening sometimes in their families but being able to bring them here and bring them shopping and letting them pick out clothes that they want to wear and its brand new clothes, is so special,” Guajardo said.
150 out of the school’s 215 students participated in the shopping spree. Guajardo said she’s hoping the entire school will be sponsored next year.
Kimberly Moore, a board member for Fish for Life, said she has heard parents’ stories of struggle when it comes to buying their kids new clothes.
“If the kids could have clothes that are new, that fit them, that increases their confidence and their willingness to participate fully in their education,” Moore said.
Christina Ortiz is a parent at the school and said her family is going through some struggles because her husband is disabled. She said the shopping spree helped out her family.
“I already needed to buy him (her son) clothes because he’s gone through another growth spurt and I was trying to figure out what we were going to do due to my husband’s disabilities and keeping up with rent and everything, so it kind of takes one little burden off,” Ortiz said.
Dr. Elodia Gutierrez, the principal of the school, said she has known many of the families at the school for years and said Fish for Life was generous in donating the shopping spree.
‘We’re just so appreciative to have such community partners supporting our students,” Gutierrez said.
Lewis Howell, the assistant principal of the school, said it was exciting to see the students’ bright, smiling faces.
“They inspire hope and they make a real difference in all of their lives,” he said about Fish for Life.
