BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) – Kids from the YMCA of Southern West Virginia were rewarded with a shopping spree because of good behavior throughout the summer.

Academy Sports and Outdoors in Beckley partnered with the YMCA to pay it forward to the youth in the community. They donated $5,000 to the club, allowing 16 children to receive $250 gift cards to use in-store.

All 16 kids that displayed the core values of the YMCA got to spend those gift cards instore this evening. Those values include honesty, caring, respect, and responsibility.

Children bought everything from clothes, shoes, sporting supplies and toys.

Chief Operating Officer for the YMCA of Southern West Virginia Mathew Bishop says with the generously from a new local business, this event will make a positive impact in the kids’ lives.

“I think these kids are going to walk away really happy tonight,” said Bishop. “I think it’s going to help them realize that what they’ve done with the respect, the responsibility, the honesty and caring means something and it’ll help them continue to be that way.”

The new Academy Sports which are located in the Beckley Plaza will be celebrating their official grand opening Friday, September 12.

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