Their strategies may have been a bit less intricate than what they’re normally used to, but a group of Allen Community College athletes still had plenty game plan for Thursday.
Members of each of the college’s sports teams flocked to the aisles of Walmart with Christmas shopping lists in hand in order to purchases toys, clothes and other holiday essentials.
The fruits of their labor will benefit children of clients at Hope Unlimited, a local organization that serves victims of domestic or sexual abuse.
“It’s fun,” said sophomore softball player Maecy Charleston. “It’s an opportunity for us to give something back to the community. I did this last year, so I had a little idea of what we were doing.”
The athletes from all 10 ACC squads — softball, baseball, volleyball, mens and womens basketball, mens and womens soccer, track/cross country, golf and even the cheer and dance squads — arrived at Walmart in waves, each getting a shopping list of wants and needs for the Hope Unlimited children.
“Last year was a little easier, because we knew the age of the children,” Charleston said. “This time, we needed to be more general.”
Each group was given a specific spending limit — typically $50 or $100 — so price-matching was imperative.
The trio of soccer players Estefana Garcia, Kelsey Estep and Amanda Larson grabbed an assortment of items, from a children’s fishing pole to a Nerf gun and Battleship game.
“It was just a matter of finding the best bargains,” Estep said.
The students returned to the college gymnasium for a massive gift-wrapping session.
ACC athletes go on shopping spree for kids
