West Virginia University students and alumni spread Christmas spirit by helping the area’s less-privileged children search for toys and other gifts at the Super K-Mart early Saturday morning.
The University’s SHOP Organization, Students Helping Other People, has been participating in the shopping event for the past 25 years.
Volunteers were paired with young children from the area and travelled by bus to their shopping destinations. Each child was given the opportunity to purchase $75 worth of gifts. But the children weren’t the only ones who left with something valuable. Volunteers from the P.I. Reed School of Journalism’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and other WVU students learned the importance of participating in giving back to the community.
“I feel that the SHOP experience is really important for the community because it keeps us more in touch with reality,” said volunteer Michelle Kayda, sophomore PRSSA member. “It’s easy to forget how fortunate you are, so when the community can reach out to help those less fortunate, it really helps to bring us all together.”
Each child also had the opportunity to visit with Santa and meet Brock Burwell, the University’s Mountaineer mascot.
“This is the second year I have worked with SHOP, and I always make time in my schedule for this event because it is wonderful,” said Burwell. “It is just great to see the kids light up during the event and really brings a smile to your face. Christmas is such a joyous time for so many people, but on the flip side, it is a sad time for many people as well. SHOP does a great job of making many children’s Christmas dreams come true.”
One of the six founding chapters, WVU’s PRSSA chapter helps students access professional development opportunities and prepare for a career in public relations. For more information, visit the chapter’s website at www.wix.com/wvuprssa/wvuprssa.