It was Christmas in October for 30 lucky children from the Owensboro Boys and Girls Club when Academy Sports and Outdoors held its “Give Back” event Thursday afternoon. The kids could hardly contain their excitement as they were each met with a $100 gift card, a shopping cart, and a smiling associate to escort them around the brand new store.
Some headed straight to the toy aisle. Several went back to the shoe department. One boy walked around with a brand new fishing pole. From the other direction, a girl rode her new bike straight to the checkout counter. Another boy was picking out a new hoodie for school.
“It’s hard to tell who is having more fun; the kids or the associates,” said Store Manager Chad Davis. “Our employees have been looking forward to this for weeks. It’s really exciting to see these kids in here.”
“We do this ‘give back’ at every store we open,” said Academy Sports and Outdoors Communication Specialist Eric Herrera. “It never gets old.”
The soft opening for the store is Friday morning at 8am. The Grand Opening is next weekend with an entire weekend of events and activities scheduled. But tonight, it was all about the kids. “Academy Sports is a very family oriented company and we pride ourselves in being involved in the community,” said Davis. “This is just one example. It’s awesome to see.”
What an amazing way for Academy Sports + Outdoors to introduce themselves to our town. It’s certainly a night these kids will never forget.
