Davis foundation, Mervyns team up to help needy schoolchildren

A local foundation is gearing up to help equip needy Davis County children with essential back-to-school supplies for the upcoming school year.

The Davis Education Foundation has partnered with Mervyns to again sponsor ChildSpree, a program that helps local children purchase new school clothes.

"It's a really, really neat program," said Diane Alexander, Davis Education Foundation administrative assistant.

Alexander said Mervyns contacted the Davis Education Foundation several years ago to partner with them. She said that every year toward the end of the summer each Mervyns store sponsors 20 to 25 elementary school children.

Mervyns provides the children with $100 each to go shopping on a Saturday morning before school starts. They also give the children a 10 percent discount, Alexander said.

When Mervyns contacted the foundation asking it to participate in the program, the foundation decided to go out and solicit more money.

"I don't think there's another Mervyns in the county that does it on the scale that we do," she said.

Alexander said that this year the foundation is planning to have 150-180 children participate. The participants are selected by the district's elementary school principals.

The Davis Education Foundation also partners with McDonalds to bring breakfast for the children and volunteers during ChildSpree. The children are given a backpack and a coupon for a free hair cut from Fran Brown College of Beauty.

Alexander said, in the past, ChildSpree participants have also been given books.

The foundation finds volunteers to come shop with the children during ChildSpree. Alexander said enlisted servicemen from Hill Air Force Base, local firefighters and police officers and student officers from area schools have all participated as "shopping buddies" in the past.

Ronald McDonald, the Jazz Bear and other local mascots also have been known to visit the event.

Banett White, Davis Education Foundation board of trustees member, has helped with ChildSpree for several years. She said it is exciting to see the children with new stuff. "Shoes are always the most exciting thing to watch, because most of the time they want to wear them home," she said.

White said that some of the children have never had a new pair of shoes before.