Clothes For Kids - Starting Off on the Right Foot

Raising “Dough” to Start the School Year on the Right Foot!
“Clothes for Kids” fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County Set for August 16.

Cedar Falls, IA July 21, 2003 – “It would be so awesome to start school with new clothes,” says one young member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County. “I think I could fit in better, and feel more confident and equal to my classmates.”  For ten dollars and an hour of your time, you can help start the school year on the right foot for children in the Cedar Valley, simply by getting on your feet for the “Panera Bread Clothes for Kids Walk” on Saturday, August 16th.  The Boys & Girls Clubs and Panera Bread are partnering up for this unique walk, with all proceeds going toward the purchase of school clothes and shoes for needy children.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County is “to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring adults.” The Clothes for Kids walk will directly benefit that mission. Self-esteem is essential to realizing your potential. Imagine, starting the school year in old, ill-fitting, or inappropriate clothes and shoes. It gets in the way of self-esteem, and it gets in the way of learning. A child in properly-fitting, appropriate clothing has a mind free to focus on school work, rather than fashion. A child in properly fitting shoes can participate in activities in and out of the classroom, rather than standing with pinched toes in last year’s shoes, or tripping over still to big hand-me-downs.
 
“I would feel brand new, like a different person, with new clothes. Kids wouldn’t look at my clothes and make fun of my old hand-me-downs...I wouldn’t feel ashamed about how I looked.” This sentiment was echoed throughout the Club by boys and girls alike; whether the kids are six or eighteen, its hard to fit in when you don’t feel good about your appearance.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County is our Operation Dough-Nation® partner,” said Michelle Berridge Scoville, Marketing Coordinator for Panera Bread. “We collect donations for them at our Cedar Falls bakery-cafe, and then match those funds. We’re sponsoring this walk because we know...just as the right quality ingredients and patience to let dough rise yields great bread...The Boys and Girls Club brings together the right mix of interested adults and quality programs, and has the patience to let children rise to their full potential.  It’s a fun partnership for us!”

The Panera Bread Clothes for Kids Walk is a morning of family fun, as summer vacation winds down and back-to-school planning begins!  Crossroads Center in Waterloo has generously donated their time and mall walkways for the event (and it’s a fun way to do a little window shopping if you’re still looking to fill some of your back-to-school needs).  Mix 96 KCVM-FM will be on hand with music to walk to, and fun from your favorite DJs. Balloons for the kids, Panera bagels for all, and fun contests to keep walkers motivated!

Clothes for Kids Walk Details 
DATE: Saturday, August 16, 9am-10am at Crossroads Center in Waterloo.  Registration starts at 8am.
COST:  $10 for adults, $5 for children 4-12 years old, and children 0-3 are free.  If you bring in $25 in pledges, we will waive your registration fee.  If you bring in a new outfit (pants/skirt and shirt or dress) or a pair of new shoes we’ll also waive your registration.
TEAMS:  Teams are encouraged!  If you organize and register a team of 10 or more, your registration fee will be dropped to $8 per person. 
PRIZES:  Between 10 and 10:30am we’ll award a variety of prizes (including Panera Bread products) for a variety of categories (youngest walker, oldest walker, most pledges, most spirited/wacky walker, best team).  Walkers will receive a T-shirt and a bagel to munch on during the walk, courtesy of Panera Bread.  
REGISTRATION:  Registration forms will be available after July 20th at the Panera Bread Bakery Cafe on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, on our website www.paneraiowa.com, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Black Hawk County (515 Lime Street, Waterloo), and Crossroads Center.  Please mark your calendars and help send Cedar Valley needy children off to school on the right foot, in new clothes and shoes.

Panera Bread, based in Richmond Heights, Mo., is the leading bakery-cafe business in the United States. As reported on April 19, 2003, the company operates 505 bakery-cafes in 32 states under the names Panera Bread and Saint Louis Bread Co. For more information or to arrange an interview, please call Michelle Berridge Scoville at 319-361-0785 or visit www.paneraiowa.