A Message from the Holiday Gift Drive Chair

It is almost Thanksgiving, which means the annual Shorecrest Holiday Gift Drive benefiting Hero to a Child is just around the corner! For more than 30 years the Holiday Gift Drive has been the School's signature service event with participation from students and families at every grade level and alumni families. Through the Gift Drive, the Shorecrest community provides holiday gifts to over 240 underserved children through Hero to a Child, which provides advocacy and support for abused, abandoned or neglected children in the Guardian ad Litem Program of Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Last year's Gift Drive brought holiday joy to 270 children. 

This year, we are sensitive to the increased need within our school community and also eager to continue this important service tradition of giving to the most at-risk and in-need children in our area. After the far-reaching impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, we recognize that there are families within our own Shorecrest community whose lives have been altered and who may be struggling, and many in our community have been generously donating resources to help. Therefore, Shorecrest and Hero to a Child worked together to scale back the requests for this year's Holiday Gift Drive. Advocates requesting gifts on behalf of each child will adhere to the standard dollar amount limits set by the organization for all other gift drives outside of Shorecrest. Rest assured we will still be creating holiday magic for over 240 children! We encourage you to participate in the Gift Drive in the way that is most meaningful and appropriate for your family at this time. 

The Gift Drive begins on Monday, December 2, when children can begin bringing unwrapped gifts into their classroom and culminates on Friday, December 13. Shorecrest students will bring the hundreds of presents they have collected to the Athletic Center, where our community volunteers will organize the gifts that will make so many children’s holidays just a little brighter. On Saturday, December 14, the Guardian ad Litem volunteer child advocates will come to campus for a drive-through pick up of the gifts.

More information will be sent out the week of November 18, including links to sign up for gifts to purchase, how to make a cash donation (we shop for you!), and how you can volunteer to help on December 13 and 14. Details and links will be available soon at www.shorecrest.org/giftdrive.

Thank you in advance for helping make this year’s holidays extra special for the over 240 children who the Holiday Gift Drive will serve. We know this event will once again showcase the giving spirit of the Shorecrest community.