On Tuesday, the boys and girls were special guests at the Target in Wynnefield Heights and were given $80 gift cards to cover a shopping spree for school supplies.
"It's exciting that they're doing this. It's really helping us and I'm loving it," said Janae McKey.
"I was grateful that it was free," said Jahsir Pratt.
All of the students felt the same sentiment.
"I think a lot of kids would struggle. I think it would be tough for a lot of them. There's also a sense of pride to be able to go to school with new school supplies," said Arminta Watkins.
This is the second year that Target and the Salvation Army have partnered in the national effort.
Locally, Salvation Army members volunteered as chaperones, while Target employees also gave their all to make the day a success.
"The employees are all excited. We have people who are here on their day off, and they were willing to be here at 7:45 in the morning just so these kids can get ready for school," said Tennille Buggs, an employee at the Target.
The chaperones were armed with calculators, in order to stay on budget, but they came prepared in case something tipped the scale.
Thanks to that kind of spirit, some lucky students can't wait for that school bell to ring.
