Calling all Santa’s helpers: Thomas County Central High School’s Shop With A Yellow Jacket, or SWAYJ, annual charity event is almost here.
Always held in mid-December, SWAYJ assists Thomas County Schools pupils whose families could use a helping hand during the holiday season.
“TCCHS is committed to improving the lives of its students and members of the Thomas County community,” assistant principal Levi Williams said. “The holidays can be an especially difficult time for many of our families and students. The mission for SWAYJ is to share a little holiday cheer and to reinforce the belief that helping and caring for one another is how we grow as a community.”
Teams of TCCHS students raise funds to take an elementary-age pupil Christmas shopping at Walmart. But it’s not a spree for themselves.
“Instead, the gifts they purchase are for their family members, further spreading the spirit of giving during the holiday season,” Williams said.
Senior Bhumin Patel knows how special SWAYJ is because he’s participated before and plans to do so again this year. He started because he wanted to do something nice for someone else.
Patel recalls his favorite part of the experience as seeing the smile on his group’s little shopper’s face after finding a specific toy.
“Afterward, the kid's mood was joyful the rest of the time we were with him, which showed that we really impacted his day,” Patel said. “I felt proud to give someone else something they really want but cannot get due to them having limited resources. I felt happy because I was able to impact someone else's life in a way they would remember.”
Team registration for the 2022 event began Nov. 14. Groups must have four or five members and raise the $125 registration fee paid to the TCCHS bookkeeping office. There are various ways students can sign up, including a registration table in the cafeteria during lunches or scanning the QR code on promotional flyers posted throughout the school.
Teams use the fee to pay for the shopping spree. The more registered groups, the more families SWAYJ can assist. There’s still time for TCCHS students to sponsor a team, and Patel encourages his peers to sign up.
“SWAYJ is a great community event for everyone to participate in because people are able to give [to] others,” he said. “It makes the children's Christmas way better, as well as yourself knowing that you helped someone else out.”
Williams said the school has what it needs to set up the event, but any of Santa’s elves within the community who’d like to help make this year’s Christmas even brighter may donate to SWAYJ.
“If outside organizations want to participate by donating to SWAYJ, we will gladly accept the help,” Williams said. “Financial donations will go toward sponsoring a shopping team as some of our TCCHS students who want to sponsor a SWAYJ team sometimes find it difficult to raise the money themselves.”
TCCHS will accept community donations until Dec. 9, the Friday before the event. Anyone wishing to donate funds may send them to TCCHS at 4686 U.S. Hwy. 84 Bypass, Thomasville, GA 31792, to Levi Williams’ attention. Please make out all checks to Thomas County Central High School and include SWAYJ on the memo line. For more information, contact Levi Williams at (229) 225-5050.
SWAYJ 2022 is Saturday, Dec. 10. This year’s theme is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town '' and activities will include a photo booth, a Santa station, coloring, music and more.
“It’s really cool to see the excitement around SWAYJ, especially when you consider that everyone participating is doing so in support of another individual,” Williams said. “That kind of selflessness is what we need more of in our world.”