Among the pandemic casualties – the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s Children’s Holiday Shopping Spree (here’s our coverage from 2019), which brought together hundreds of volunteers and dozens of local students for one joyful morning every December. But local Rotarians were undeterred in their mission of helping kids. Today they gathered to get ready for a new way of achieving part of the mission – getting essentials to students in need via “Spring for Kids.”

Rotarian Kjersti Stroup explains, “We purchased new clothing items for 60 elementary school students in West Seattle and are providing those students with new coats, shirts, shorts, shoes, socks, and underwear, as well as a ‘goodie bag’ with fun toys and items.” This morning, club members gathered at Fauntleroy Church for a sorting party.

Next week, volunteers will deliver the bags to four local elementary schools – Highland Park, Lafayette, Roxhill, and West Seattle. And then this holiday season, the Children’s Shopping Spree might make a comeback – too early to say for sure.