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Highlands Today

A Special Shopping Trip

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Katrina Jones, 14, decides on what to purchase for her family for Christmas with a gift card provided by Florida Sportsmen's Association Inc. on Tuesday during a shopping spree at Kmart in Sebring.

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By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: December 24, 2008

SEBRING - About 90 underprivileged kids, up to age 16, enjoyed a Kmart shopping spree Tuesday afternoon, sponsored by the Florida Sportsmen's Association Inc.

More children than there were cards to go around lined up outside Kmart. Some waited patiently for their names to be called. Other children waited just in case someone on the list didn't show up.

Kasey Hawthorne, 8, of Sebring, was asked what he wanted to get with his card.

A computer and an X-Box 360, he said innocently.

Those cost a lot of money. What else?

"I'm going to get clothes and toys," he said.

What kind of toys?

"A remote control car," he said shyly. "Maybe a football."

Barbara Walker, director of finance with the Sportsmen's Association, reminded the children and the adults with them to spend the full amount on the card, or they'd probably lose it. Millions of dollars in gift cards are left each year unused lying around in peoples' drawers, she told them.

Walker was in charge of the list of applicants while Robert Saffold, executive secretary with the Sportsmen's Association, handed out the cards, 10 at a time.

"The children are mostly chosen by need, one or two to a family," Walker said, because of the limited funds. "Two if it's a single parent who lost their job."

The children were called to get their gift card alphabetically by their first name.

It seemed like the J-names would last forever, but when Kasey's name was finally called the smile that spread across his face told the whole story.

Are you excited?

"Yes sir," he replied in a polite whisper.

"We do an application and we ask for certain information from the parents," said Saffold. "We have a committee that we select the ones who will receive a $60 gift card.

Saffold said this is the 27th year the Sportsmen's Association has held this Christmas shopping spree, always with Kmart.

"We started when Kmart was over there by the (Dollar General) and when Winn-Dixie was there on Kenilworth (Boulevard) and Lakeview (Drive).

"I think the first time we took 15 kids and actually we gave them $15."

Since then the number of kids they sponsored has increased, he said.

"Last year we had 80 kids and this year we have 90. Our goal is to have 100 kids."

Why Kmart?

"They give us a 10 percent discount on all of the purchases and they don't charge the tax," said Saffold. "So the $60 we give the kids really leverages out to about $70, maybe a little more."

Saffold said the $5,400 they raised for this spree mainly came from private donors and they received some help from the Sebring Noon Rotary Club.

"We used some of the funds we raised from the fish fry and we used some funds from the Florida Sportsmen's Golf Tournament," Saffold said.

Katrina Jones, 14, was there with her grandma, Alberta Jones, and her cousin Dyjari Holdman, 5, and niece, A'Iranna, 2, accompanied by her "best friend" Frankie Shine, 13.

Katrina said she was going to shop for her three nieces, her nephew, her mom, her grandma and if there was anything left, maybe get a little something for herself. She admitted she might have to add some of her own money shopping for so many people.

"You need to buy things you need," Saffold cautioned one young man near the checkout, who only had a toy. "Like underwear, then if you have something left over, then you buy toys."

Stepmom Melissa Robinson nearly missed out. But through the generosity of Beall's Outlet in Sebring, Simone and Amie Gibson, ages 11 and 13, didn't go away empty handed.

"I didn't know I had to bring the kids so I ran home and got them," she said. "They ran out of cards but they got two $40 gift cards for Beall's Outlet and two 20 percent off cards."

Saffold said he hated to see any of the children go without and hopes they can provide for 100 next year.

The Sportsmen are also hosting a meet Santa Claus on Lemon Street starting about 11 a.m. until about 3 p.m. today. The organization will give out some teddy bears it received from a church as well as toys and even some refurbished bicycles donated from the Avon Park Youth Academy.

Mountain Top Productions' owner Harold Conner, operating under the name Michael John Conner's Christians in Action, gave several DVD players and all kinds of toys, said Saffold.

"They're one of our major sponsors," he said.

The Florida Sportsmen do other kinds of fundraising and recently sent five busloads of children, accompanied by 20 chaperones, to the Florida Classic football game between Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University.

The Sportsmen raised about $14,000 for the trip with the help of private donors.

"We sent out cards and letters thanking them individually," he said.

Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

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