BOYS AND GIRLS SHOP FOR FREE.Byline: John Sanders John Sanders is the name of
Youngsters from local Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley Boys and Girls boys and girls mercurialisannua. Clubs will go back to school in style thanks to the generosity of Mervyn's. Thirty kids from the clubs received $100 from Mervyn's to help pay for school clothes and shoes during a shopping spree in the Palmdale store located in the Antelope Valley Mall The Antelope Valley Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Palmdale, California. Opened in September, 1990, its buildings take up around 1 million square feet (90,000 m²). Its physical main building, parking lots, and ring road businesses encompass an area a bit less than 0. . ``Some of these kids are disadvantaged, and it is Mervyn's pleasure and our pleasure to help them go back to school in style,'' said team leader of the store, Susan Schwartz. ``We are just pleased to support the community and most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially the children in the community.'' There are four club sites in the Antelope Valley. Two sites are in Palmdale at Yucca Elementary School elementary school: see school. and the Hammack Activity Center, Desert View Elementary School in Lancaster and Challenger Middle School in Lake Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . The Boys and Girls Club is an after-school program in which children can play games, socialize so·cial·ize v. so·cial·ized, so·cial·iz·ing, so·cial·iz·es v.tr. 1. To place under government or group ownership or control. 2. To make fit for companionship with others; make sociable. , receive tutoring and mentoring. According to Jay Duke, who is the executive director of the Antelope Valley Boys and Girls Club, approximately 45-100 kids attend each site every day. ``Whenever a kid is a member of the Boys and Girls Club, statistics will show that their involvement in gangs, drug abuse and alcohol are all reduced,'' Duke said. ``We eliminate the need for kids to get involved in gangs or any bad activities, because they've got a support group outside of the school and outside of the home that is there for them, that works with them and wants to see that they succeed,'' he said. Duke said that the kids were randomly selected to participate in the shopping spree, but that the clubs tried to choose kids who had never participated in the event. ``I feel great because some kids really need it,'' said 10-year-old Gina Austin. ``I bought some bell-bottoms because that's in style now.'' In addition to the $100 worth of clothing, kids were provided with the essentials to start school, such as pens and pencils, paper, notebooks, folders and backpacks. ``I think it's nice and cool because I like it,'' said 10-year-old Blake Pigg. ``Kids get to have fun and they can buy what their mom wants them to buy and they can buy what they want to buy.'' CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1--Color) Lancaster residents Gina Austin and Michawn Browning, both 10, pick out clothes and school supplies at Mervyn's in Palmdale. (2--Color) Eleven-year-old Elaine Duarte of Palmdale, a recipient of a $100 shopping spree, looks at outfits. (3--Color) Eight-year-old Robert Loy of Palmdale tries on shoes, having been selected as one of the Antelope Valley Boys and Girls Clubs members to win a free shopping trip, thanks to Mervyn's. The Boys and Girls Clubs offer after-school programs where kids can play, get tutoring and make friends. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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