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Inside Woodlawn Extra: Christmas for Kids

Hundreds of kids shopped for warm clothes and presents during the annual “Christmas for Kids” event.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Hundreds of kids shopped for warm clothes and presents during the recent annual Christmas for Kids”event at the Hollywood Fred Meyer in Portland.

The annual fundraiser pairs kids in need with volunteer shoppers, armed with $150 gift cards for each child and a $50 gift card for each sibling.

Sponsors like Columbia were on hand to give the kids free jackets, warm shirts and hats.

This year, four students at Woodlawn Elementary School participated in the event.

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Tianna Sly runs the Self Enhancement Inc. Sun School program at Woodlawn and chose the students for the event.

“This was a dream come true for some of these kids. These kids were made to feel extra special, welcomed with open arms. This is an experience they’ll never forget,” said Sly.

Zanobia, a third grader at Woodlawn, was paired with volunteer shopper Brenda Martinek, an administrator with Portland Public Schools.

“There are so many kids that don’t even think about prices or their siblings and she was thinking about both. She said it’s about family and that just warms your heart,” said Martinek.

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About Inside Woodlawn:

KGW investigative reporter Cristin Severance and photojournalist Gene Cotton were granted remarkable access to spend the 2019-2020 school year chronicling life inside Woodlawn Elementary School in Northeast Portland. Their reporting offers a rich view of how teachers, administrators, school staff and parents overcome many challenges to serve students. Join us as KGW News goes Inside Woodlawn.

Please follow our year-long series on YouTube, Facebook and by using #insidewoodlawn on Twitter and Instagram.

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