GILBERT — As more kids get ready to head back to school on Monday, getting supplies and new clothes can be a challenge for some. That's why the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and Arizona Coyotes teamed up to help several hundred kids get what they need.
At 8 a.m. on Saturday, three Kohl's stores across the Valley were lively, as about a hundred students at each location came to shop for free.
Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley volunteer Andrew Leger says they help kids who may have the most need throughout the school year.
“Whenever you watch their face, the look of excitement, the smile, that basically describes it all, just captures it,” Leger said. “Everyone from five- to six-year-old to 16, 17-year-old, leaving with something they wanted, maybe they couldn’t afford it or couldn’t get it from home, it’s just awesome to be able to provide that experience for them.”
Some of the students were also accompanied by Arizona Coyotes players.
Liam O’Brien, who plays for the hockey team, came back to help the kids for a second year in a row.
“Kids are always awesome. They’re always fun to be around,” O’Brien said. “Just to be able to come here and help them out, it means a lot. And it means a lot for our organization as well.”
It also means a lot for the kids, who get to spend about $250 in Kohl's gift cards worth of clothes, shoes and toys, if there’s anything left over.
