The Junior League of the Emerald Coast (JLEC) is hosting its annual Child Clothing Project on November 14th and 15th from 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the HSU Innovation Institute at South 709 Anchors Street SW, FWB 32548. Over 300 elementary school students from Okaloosa and Walton Counties will be bused in to shop for a new wardrobe and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) activities provided by local community organizations. Okaloosa Leadership students from Choctaw, Niceville, and Destin High School, along with Shoal River Middle School, will help kids shop at the two-day event. “We appreciate the Okaloosa County School District and Walton County School District for their support in fulfilling our project mission,” stated Waverly Garnand, President of JLEC. “The school counselors, teachers, principals, leadership students, and transportation employees are major players in this event, and we could not do it without them! We want these students to feel important and valued by their community.”
Started in 1979, with 36 kids at elementary schools in Fort Walton Beach, the Child Clothing Project is the Junior League’s premier community outreach event, offering eligible children a field trip to “shop” at no cost to receive new clothing items, including pants, shirts, shoes, a jacket, a bag, a book, underwear, socks, and toiletries. The event will feature a variety of community partners that will provide interactive visits for the children, including the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative, Fort Walton Beach Library, Emerald Coast Science Center, Okaloosa County Health Department, Fort Walton Beach Police Department, Fort Walton Beach Fire Department, Indian Temple Mound Museum, Cultural Arts Alliance, Noni’s Ark, Kidding Around Yoga, Eglin Air Force Base, E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, Alaqua Animal Refuge, Fun 4 All Inflatables, Florida Park Service, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, Maria’s Face Painting, The Fun Connection, DJ Darrin, The Wright Memories.
For more information, please visit www.jlec.org and https://youtu.be/TVQ06d6rZHw?si=vWSuiDZ-i747Rxlu to view last year’s event.