Sunday, April 24, 2022 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 52 SPONSORED CONTENT Supporting students builds stronger futures Now more than ever, many students feel lost and unsure about what they’ll do after graduation. With COVID-19 making classes remote for almost two years, many weren’t able to get what they needed during that time, and school proved incredibly difficult to do at home. “A lot of these students lost confidence in their goals and dreams,” says Executive Director of Toys for Kids Heather Jones. “On top of that, college has gotten even more expensive, and most of these students don’t know how they will pay for college.” Offering even small amounts of support can feel like a huge boost to less fortunate students, like the ones Toys for Kids directly impacts. This support can come in the form of computers, reliable internet service, school supplies, even partial college scholarships. The events and ripple effect of the past couple years have caused countless students to fall behind when parents lost their jobs; many students didn’t have computers or the appropriate resources for online schooling. A majority of those who Toys for Kids helps fall into the category of being homeless or living in poverty, and many rely on free and reduced lunches. (Of Seattle school district kids, 41% are on free or reduced lunch every year.) “These students’ families unfortunately can’t afford the simple items such as school supplies, lunch and holiday toys,” Jones says. “On top of that, we have found it is these kids who are bullied and made to feel less than at school.” Every year, Toys for Kids awards $5,000 college scholarships to high school seniors in the state of Washington. This scholarship, established to recognize outstanding seniors that exemplify the high standards and commitment to the community that Dave “Hendu”Henderson believed in, is open to all students, regardless of their family’s income and status. Students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher; all tuition and books are paid for. Preston, a scholarship winner and 2020 graduate of Stanwood High School has been continuing his education and baseball career at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. He explains that, when he was first accepted to the school’s honors program and baseball team, he was ecstatic, yet after looking at the daunting tuition price, he had to weigh whether this option was financially viable. “I started to consider other cheaper options even though Allegheny was offering everything I had worked towards and wanted for my future,” he says. “I was being forced to put a price tag on my dream, but that is where Toys for Kids stepped in. The scholarship they granted me helped me enough to go and pursue my dreams. This scholarship will have a lasting effect on my life.” Emma, a winner of the 2021 scholarship, says, “One major way that winning the scholarship has helped me go after my big goals is that it shows I really am capable of doing great things and earning even better achievements. I’ve been working hard to keep my 4.0, and it definitely takes some extra effort in my AP Calculus and AP English classes. I strive to graduate with the title of valedictorian and, after high school, I’ll be attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.” She will major in cybersecurity and intelligence, and plans to become a forensic accounToys for Kids gives toys, scholarships and school supplies to homeless and disadvantaged youth in Washington. Our goal this year is to raise $50,000 so we can award 10 scholarships to help students realize their potential. Learn more at t!seattle.org. tant for the FBI. Toys for Kids has five programs to help youth inWashington: Back-toSchool, providing school children with essential supplies needed to learn (1,500 kids served), and giving the children of the Broadview Domestic Violence Shelter back-to-school haircuts; F.L.Y. – First Love Yourself, a partnership with beauty salons to give families of domestic violence shelters a day of self-care; Holiday Parties, during which 35,000 kids have received a holiday gift; Hot Lunch & Field Trips; and the Dave Henderson Education Scholarship (for which eight scholarships were given in 2021). Jones adds that providing kids with hope and joy requires thousands of tireless hours, which is why volunteers are so cherished, “They are the backbone of the operation,” she says. “They get the job done.” “Knowing that we can take a kid who will have a very hard future,” Jones says, “and to help them change their trajectory to hope — and seeing their future happen — is why Toys for Kids will continue our path to serving the kids who are less fortunate in the state of Washington.” PROVIDED BY TOYS FOR KIDS Read story online Rick Rizzs, CEO/Co-Founder of Toys for Kids and voice of the Seattle Mariners, handing out over 35,000 toys to youth in need in Washington state. (Toys for Kids)
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