Long before the first shopping bag was filled last week, Child Spree had already begun. Months ago, teachers quietly nominated students who needed a fresh start for the new school year. Parents shared favorite colors, shoe sizes, and little details only they’d know — the kind that make a stranger’s shopping trip feel like it’s for a friend.
Through our new Child Spree app, those details became living profiles. Volunteers could see each child’s photo, hear their voice in a short video, and read the wish list in the parent’s own words — bringing the shopping trip to life before they ever set foot in a store.
On event day, hundreds of volunteers spread out across the three Davis County Kohl’s locations, each one armed with their assigned child’s profile. Guided by those details, they filled carts with carefully chosen clothing — a coat for winter mornings, sneakers for the playground, jeans and shirts that fit just right. Every bag was tagged, loaded into a Davis School District truck, and sent to schools across the county, ready to land in the hands of the child it was meant for.
This year’s Child Spree was made possible by the kind of community that understands a simple truth: clothes are more than fabric. They’re a first impression, a comfort on a hard day, a silent message that says, you belong here. America First Credit Union, Holy Cross Hospital – Davis Medical Staff Providers, Lifetime, Marathon, and Waste Management didn’t just sponsor a shopping trip — they sponsored self-esteem, confidence, and the first step into a new school year.
The bags are home now. Closets are fuller. And somewhere, a student is looking in the mirror, feeling ready — because someone they’ve never met believed they were worth it.
