(OCALA, Fla.) Dec. 14, 2018 – Seventeen children from Wyomina Elementary School, who were selected to participate in the Cathy’s Kids program, spent a morning to remember with Ocala Fire Rescue firefighters.
For years, members of the International Association of Firefighters Local #2135, comprised of Ocala Fire Rescue firefighters, have honored the tradition set forth by Cathy Fender, Cathy’s Kids Founder, of gifting a child a morning of shopping, followed by a trip to the park with undivided attention. Though inclement weather diverted the group from the park, the shopping experience was nothing short of great.
At 10 a.m. a school bus, filled with children identified by school personnel as members of families in need, arrived at Walmart Supercenter on 19th Avenue Road. There, each child was paired with at least one adult and treated to the shopping experience of a lifetime. Clothes, shoes, and of course toys for the children and their family members were purchased.
Cathy’s kids could not have been possible without donations from firefighters, and sponsors such as Papa Johns and Wayne’s World of Paintball, among others.
