With only 30 days left before the annual "Holiday with a Hero" shopping spree for children in need in Carson City, organizers are asking for donations to help 350 children this year - the largest number of children ever serviced with this program since its inception seven years ago.
The children treated to the shopping trip are chosen from the Carson City School District's "Students in Transition" program, which monitors school-aged children identified as homeless, living in shelters or doubling up with another family.
The donations will go toward providing the students with a gift card which they can spend however they choose during the Dec. 14 and 15 shopping sprees. In years past, the students have been given $100 gift cards. Organizers are hoping to come close to that number despite the 30 percent increase in recipients this year, said Detective Dena Lacy.
The students will be bused from their schools to Walmart. There, they will meet with a local uniformed public safety official who will escort them through the store.
The items will be gift wrapped, and they will be fed lunch and then returned to school.
"Sadly in some cases, your donation will provide the means for the only holiday these students have," states a letter sent out to local businesses asking for donations.
There are several new ways to donate this year:
• Donations can be made at Bank of the West, 2976 N. Carson St. Carson City, Account #025761072, Tax ID #80-0763632.
All checks should be made payable to: Holiday with a Hero
• Donations can be mailed to: Holiday with a Hero, P.O. Box 2790, Carson City, NV 89702
• Or donations can be dropped off at the Carson City Sheriff's Office front counter, at 911 E. Musser St. Carson City, NV 89701. The deadline for donations is Dec. 9.
For more information, email Detective Daniel Gonzales at dgonzales@carson.org or Detective Dena Lacy at dlacy@carson.org.