Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities and Belk Donate 1,600 Uniforms for Back-to-School

 

Pat and Emmitt Smith with students at Dade Middle School

 Each year, thousands of North Texas families in need struggle to pay for school uniforms. As more schools require uniforms, some families have difficulty in providing adequate clothing for their children. On Thursday, August 13, Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities (PESC) representatives, along with employees of Belk Galleria Dallas provided uniforms for two underserved DISD schools. “Education is the cornerstone to achieve what you want in life,” said Emmitt Smith. “Pat and I are honored that Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities has been able to help students in the North Texas community obtain the uniforms they need, while instilling confidence and enthusiasm to attend school.”

Mills Elementary student with her new uniform

Belk created pop-up shops in the gymnasiums at Roger Q. Mills Elementary School and Billy Earl Dade Middle School to make new uniforms available to all current students. The donation of new, high-quality clothing from PESC and Belk will help to level the playing field for these families as they gear up for back-to-school. “We feel a need to ease the stress and challenges these families endure with affording new uniforms at the start of every school year,” said Pat Smith. “We want to ensure these students start school without worrying about basic necessities, like a uniform.”

Emmitt Smith and Eddie Bernice Johnson at Mills Elementary

This was the second year Belk has supported the initiative, doubling its donations to over 1,600 uniforms this year. To date, Belk has donated more than 2,400 uniforms, a value of more than $94,000, for DISD students. “Our annual uniform donation program was created to help families who struggle to make ends meet in cities across our footprint,” said Jessica Graham, Vice President of Communications and Community Relations at Belk. “We were so happy to collaborate with Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities to bring this initiative back to Dallas.”

Pat Smith with students at Dade Middle School

At Roger Q. Mills Elementary School, PESC was honored to have the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson attend the ceremony. Her advice to students? "Read. Study. Pray and drink water. That's what will ensure your success." Great advice for all kids of all ages! As an added surprise for Billy Earl Dade Middle School students, Carol Roberts announced that Albertsons would be donating 500,000 Campbell's e-lable points that the school can redeem for athletic and technology equipment. The Campbell's Labels for Education program is a school fund raising program designed with busy families in mind as an alternative to traditional fund raising. By saving and redeeming product UPCs and beverage/sauce caps from participating products schools can earn free educational merchandise, such as computers, software, sports equipment, musical instruments, library books and even a minivan.