Angelica Mejia knew what she wanted when she saw it.
"Ooooh, pink ones. Can I get a pink pencil box? I love to color," Mejia, 7, told her personal shopper, Sandy Robertson, during the Kernersville YMCA's Bright Beginnings back-to-school shopping day.
Forty-eight eager children from Kernersville and Sedge Garden Elementary schools met their volunteer personal shoppers early yesterday at the Kernersville YMCA parking lot. Brightly colored backpacks were spread out on tarps, and children chose a new backpack as they waited to board one of the two buses that took them and adult volunteers to Wal-Mart.
YMCA officials allowed each school's social workers, counselors and home-school coordinator to determine which children would participate, said Chris Brady, the associate executive director of the Kernersville Family YMCA. A high number of students at each school receives free or reduced lunch.
This was the third year for the program to help students in Kernersville get the supplies they need to start school, Brady said. The money to pay for the supplies was raised through gifts from local businesses and civic organizations, along with donations from members and friends of the Kernersville YMCA.
Marie Tracey's sons Christopher and Elmer have taken part in the back-to-school shopping day every year since it started.
"I love this," Tracey said. "It really helps me, as a single parent, get my boys ready for school."
Each student and adult volunteer got a list of classroom supplies and a $50 gift card to use at Wal-Mart. Volunteers tried to maximize spending to buy supplies and at least one new outfit with the gift card.
Larry Johnson, who is retired from the Air Force, lives in Germany for most of the year, however, he also has a home in Kernersville.
Last year his visit to his Kernersville home coincided with the YMCA's efforts to recruit volunteers to shop with the students. Johnson decided to help out.
He planned his trip home this summer to take part iagain.
Johnson helped Juy Smith, a fourth-grader at Sedge Garden, find supplies such as composition books and spiral notebooks.
"It is a lot of work, but I'm ready to go back to school," Juy said. "I've missed my friends."
Alejandro Calvario, a Kernersville Elementary first-grader, said he figured that buying everything in blue would keep him happy at school. His volunteer shopper was Emily Hayden, who helped Alejandro choose a blue Spider-man notebook, blue Batman shoes, blue sparkly folders and a blue and white striped shirt.
"He's ready," Hayden said, laughing.
John Coulter, the Kernersville YMCA's executive director, said he expects shopping for at least 30 more children before school starts. Donations to buy school supplies are still being accepted at the Kernersville YMCA.
Becky Lewis, the home-school coordinator at Kernersville Elementary, said she will soon have a better idea about which kids still need supplies.
"We'll know more after Open House," Lewis said. "We will hear of more children that need help and will know their needs."
Betsy Dagenhart, a counselor at Sedge Garden Elementary said that several of her school's students were unavailable for yesterday morning's shopping trip. She said she was glad that the YMCA plans to help more students. Dagenhart enlisted her husband, Chuck, and college-age daughter, Patterson, to help shop with the students.
Penny Stephenson, a Wal-Mart cashier, said she was impressed with the students' behavior.
"I cannot get over how polite and how wonderful the kids were," she said.
■ Monica Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com.
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