Rotary Christmas Shopping Spree for Shoreline children in need

2010 shopping spree

On October 3, 2011, the Rotary Club of Shoreline (lunch) took 27 children, between 6-12 years old, on a much needed clothing shopping spree at the Alderwood J.C. Penney's. 

On this shopping spree, each child had the opportunity to pick out over several hundred dollars of new clothes, shoes, and accessories. The Rotary provides $100 per child, but J. C. Penny’s provides a special discount on top of already low sale prices so that, for example, one child's coat that retails for $79.99 was discounted down to $3.39.

The Dale Turner Family YMCA provides the transportation for the students. Volunteers come from the Rotary Club, their friends and family, the YMCA, Echo Lake Elementary School, and Troop 853 of the Boy Scouts of America.

This event is an annual tradition of the Shoreline Rotary and Alderwood J. C. Penney’s store. This project started back in 1998, when the former J.C. Penny's manager and Rotary member Cal Smith and the then Rotary president, Allen Anderson, began it.

Every year, children are chosen from a different Shoreline elementary school. This year, the shopping spree kids came from Echo Lake Elementary School. Michelle Carroll, the Principal of Echo Lake was thrilled that her school was this year’s choice.

Becky Gagliardi, Chair of Rotary Club Service Projects said, “I had such a warm feeling inside when the event was over, seeing the kids so happy as their parents picked them up at the school. With tears in my eyes, this must be what Santa feels like. This is one of the reasons I am in Rotary, you can make a difference and see immediate results."

The kids pretty much get the whole store to themselves during the Rotary Shopping Spree, which was conducted between 7:30-9:00 a.m. Saturday morning before the store opens. After the shopping spree, the kids were taken out for breakfast at McDonald’s on Ballinger Way.