As the city of San Antonio rallied behind the Spurs during Game 4 of the NBA Finals, a group of kids in the city had a special reason to celebrate. Academy Sports + Outdoors partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas to surprise nearly a dozen kids with a shopping spree.
A Special Surprise
Each child was given a $200 gift card and told they could shop for whatever they wanted inside the store — from clothes and shoes to sporting equipment and school essentials. For many of the children, a kind of surprise like this was unexpected.
“It was crazy. I didn’t expect it,” said Vivian David, one of the recipients. “Wow, I’ve never won anything in my life. Just randomly hearing you’re getting 200 bucks, now that’s awesome.”
As San Antonio basketball fans focused on the Spurs’ Finals matchup against the Knicks, some of the children used the opportunity to show support for their hometown team and buy Silver and Black merch.
“I got a backpack for basketball,” said Neftali Torres. “I’m a Spurs fan, grew up a Spurs fan and I’m a basketball player myself.”
Making a Difference
The children were specifically selected through Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas. It’s an organization that provides mentoring for young people throughout the region. The nonprofit serves children ages 6 to 18 from a variety of backgrounds, including some from single-parent households and communities facing economic challenges.
Organizers said the shopping spree was about much more than buying new items. It was a chance to show the children they matter, and they have support from their community.
“It’s a blessing because I can get stuff I need for school, anything I need,” recipient Antonio Neri said. “I really am blessed for that. I’m really happy.”
“It’s a really good opportunity,” said Anabella Vega, marketing and events manager for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas. “It might help their parents out and ease financial burdens. It might help them to get some Christmas gifts or go back-to-school shopping because sometimes they might not be able to.”
“I think it’s an amazing thing for helping the community,” said Kyle Estep, logistics manager for Academy Sports + Outdoors. “When I was a kid, this kind of stuff would have made my day, or made my week. So, seeing stuff like that happen for someone else is amazing. It’s great to see them smile.”
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
