Last Friday, Republic FC staff and volunteers from Bank of Marin delivered coats, toys, and grocery gift cards to families from North Sacramento’s Robla Unified School District as part of its annual Winter Wishlist program. This year – thanks to the generosity of fans, staff and community partners, the club raised over $12,000 in items to spread holiday cheer.
In November, the club kicked off the third edition of the annual donation drive, which began in 2020 to help combat the impact of the pandemic. The Robla School District, one of the oldest school districts in the region, serves over 2,300 students and faces many unique challenges. More than 90% of the district’s families live at or below the federal poverty line and over 20% of students are without a permanent address. The staff and teachers in the district are not just educators, but often a lifeline and resource for daily life.
“That a child has an appropriate coat to put on in the morning before they get on the school bus or walk to school is a hugh necessity that sometimes families don’t have the ability to provide,” said Robla Superintendent Ruben Reyes. “It’s really wonderful that at a basic level like that, we’re able to support them.”
Items were collected at regional Mimosa House locations, or purchased and donated by fans, as well as the Sacramento Raiders Booster Club. The club purchased $2,500 worth of gifts at Macy’s Arden Fair as part of a special “Shopping Spree” with Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs and forward Keko Gontan, with support from Bank of Marin and Supervisor Phil Serna. Club partner AARP Sacramento donated $5,000 of gift cards to Raley’s, and Kellogg’s donated $2,000 to help support the program.
“This program started because Superintendent Reyes found the pandemic was exacerbating a lot of issues for families,” said Republic FC Director of Community Investment Kevin Burdick. “For the club, we just want to show that we’re a part of this community, and want to keep doing things [for Sacramento].”
In total, 400 items were collected and delivered by nearly 40 volunteers, putting smiles on the faces of over 300 children ahead of a busy 2022 holiday season.
