THOMASVILLE- The Walmart Supercenter was packed on Saturday morning as the Thomas County Central High School cheerleaders and chorus formed a tunnel welcoming elementary school students and their TCCHS shopping buddies for Shop with a Yellow Jacket. The sixteenth year of this heartfelt event had Walmart shoppers wanting to know more as they watched 77 groups shop for gifts for family and themselves.

“Our school promotes teams of either athletes or non-athletes. We have seventy-seven teams this year,” Allison NeSmith, the event coordinator of Shopping with a Yellow Jacket said.

The high school works with Backpack Buddies, Hand-In-Hand, Garrison-Pilcher, and Cross Creek to pair four or five TCCHS students with an elementary student. Parent Involvement coordinators from each school are responsible for selecting families and gathering the list tailored to their needs.

The groups met together at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday before embarking on their shopping spree. The children met their TCCHS shopping buddies at the high school and received their shopping list before loading up on the bus driven by TCCHS coaches to Walmart. As the buses arrived each team hopped off and walked through a tunnel formed by TCCHS cheerleaders and the chorus while the fight song was played.

“They walk around and they have a list that they get to shop for their family because it’s important that they buy for their family as well as they can get a gift or two for themselves,” NeSmith said.

The store was packed with the students as they checked off items for their mom, dad, siblings, and themselves on their lists before loading back on the buses.

“Once they finish here, they load back on the same bus, and they go back over. That whole team gets a table, and they wrap all the presents,” said NeSmith.

The event ended at noon after each team had completed their quest, with all gifts wrapped and ready to be gifted to their children’s loved ones!

“It’s so rewarding, and I’ll tell you what’s so cool is there will be people here shopping that will see it and they’ll have tears,” NeSmith said. The occasion demonstrates the reason for the season for all who can witness and play a part in it.

The event has become one of the most special events in the TCCHS community. Every year, the teams of TCCHS form together to give back and show appreciation for being a part of the Yellow Jacket family.