November 27, 2017
SIU outreach program ‘Operation: Sgt. Santa’ to benefit student-parents
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Need an idea for Giving Tuesday? How about a gift that allows a child to give?
“Operation: Sgt. Santa,” an outreach from the Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Public Relations Student Society of America, benefits children of SIU student parents by presenting them with gift cards they may use partly on themselves – but they are encouraged to focus on family.
On Dec. 6, the student group will present $100 Kohl’s gift cards to 15 children for a special shopping “operation” with Department of Public Safety police officers. The evening also includes dinner and holiday activities.
The selected children and their families will come to operation headquarters at the Student Center to enjoy a meal and arts and crafts beginning at 5 p.m. While their families are busy with crafting fun, the selected children will go on a shopping spree at Kohl’s to shop for themselves and their families. When they return to “base,” PRSSA members will help them wrap their gifts.
Applications for parents are available from Josh Houston, PRSSA faculty adviser, at jhouston@siu.edu. Community members are encouraged to donate to help this outreach.