Schools
Acworth Gives Back During Holidays
Allatoona High School students took local kids shopping over the weekend, and the Acworth Police Department has a special tree to help a family in need.
Santa's elves have been working overtime in Acworth these days.
More than 240 "elves" from hosted 140 less fortunate kids in the Acworth community for the fourth annual "Shop With a Buc" program on Saturday.
"This was the first big event we did when we first opened this high school," said Benji Morrell, athletic director at Allatoona and coordinator of the popular event. "Our students get to give back each year to the community and they realize that everyone doesn't have everything."
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The needy students are identified through the Allatoona feeder schools and names are given to the program. This year, several churches provided both breakfast and lunch for the event.
The children had their photos taken with Santa, enjoyed holiday crafts, and then boarded a bus to sing Christmas carols en route to the ‚ complete with an escort by Acworth Police and Santa himself.
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Why do the students take time out to shop with total strangers? "I like seeing the huge smiles on their faces," said Allatoona sophomore Reilly Prewett.
The money provided to buy gifts for the kids was raised by Allatoona students, said Morrell, adding that the high school's chorus and violin ensemble were also on hand to provide Christmas music while the students shopped.
Another Acworth family will have a better Christmas this year thanks to the generosity of the and local residents.
The "Christmas Cop Tree" sits in the lobby of the Acworth Police Department and includes ornaments in the shape of a police badge. Each ornament lists an item for an Acworth family who will be helped by the employees of the department.
"It's mostly our employees who donate the items, but the public is welcome to come by, get an ornament, and bring that item back and we'll get it to the family," said Officer Jeff Rose, adding the anonymous family has five children.
Donations will be taken until Dec. 21, and officers will take the gifts to the family on Dec. 22. For more information, call the Acworth Police Department at 770-974-1232.
