Local youngsters learn to shop on a budget with $100 gift cards at Academy Sports

Joshua Miles, 10, was given a $100 gift card to go on a shopping spree, so he bought a pair of Nike Kyrie sneakers, a football and two pieces of candy to bribe his mom.

“It’s the only way I can get out of this shoe situation,” Miles said. His mom wanted him to buy white sneakers, and he wanted black sneakers. “I’m gonna mess those up,” he explained. So Miles bought black Kyries with white soles, “ ‘cause the sole will be easy to clean,” he said.

Miles and his friend Lemmon Turner, 13, were two of 30 youngsters from the five area Boys & Girls Clubs who received gift cards from Academy Sports + Outdoors so they could shop on their own for back-to-school clothes and supplies. New to Columbus, the retailer is one of 100 Academy Sports stores nationwide that partner with the organization to sponsor the annual event.

Sales staff greeted the youngsters with cheers and applause, and with calculators and price guns in hand, escorted them throughout the store. Miles was satisfied with his Nike purchase, but most of the kids, ages 5-18, wanted to stretch their budget. Turner bought shoes, a ball, a shirt, earbuds and candy. Makayla Jones was guided to the sales racks to find she could purchase several shirts to match her new pants and shoes. Youngsters added backpacks, socks, lunch kits and an outdoor chair to the mix.

Wednesday was the second philanthropic gift to the club’s youth, after hosting 30 kids with gift cards as part of the store’s soft grand opening in early June. “Academy is committed to this organization,” store director Patricia Tubbs said.

“Events like this where it’s truly hands-on with our kids, where the kids can benefit directly from our corporate sponsors, is a great opportunity,” said Sarah Cuevas, Vice-President of Marketing & Development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. “Having them come here and pick out what they want, instead of having items delivered to them is a great opportunity, and they’re thankful for that.”

The local Boys & Girls Clubs serve, on average, 800 kids a day, or about 2,300 youngsters annually. The unit directors at each club, who know their children and families personally, select families that have few resources to buy their children school supplies.

“It’s awesome. They’re going to come out of here with bags full of supplies. It’s always great to have a good start to the new school year. To have the supplies and be ready just adds to that excitement,” Cuevas said.

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 10:06 PM.