Palmer, Texas Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) women’s basketball Palmer Elementary School

“We really wanted to do something special this Christmas with our team. We thought about several different options and then I decided to reach out to Mrs. Gina Godding. She was very excited about the possibility of us working with Palmer Elementary,” explains SAGU head coach Tiffany Phillips .

The Lady Lions each picked a child based on age and gender and went shopping for specially picked items for the student. Once they arrived at the school, the girls got to give their gifts.

“One little girl got a princess outfit with a crown and all.  There were several baseballs, Ninja Turtle things and super hero stuff. Some of the stories I heard were super special. The girls really put a lot of thought and detail into the gifts,” says Phillips.

A boy and a girl from each grade level, pre-k to fourth, were chosen to be the recipient of the blessing box.

For Palmer Elementary Principal Allyson Spurgeon , the visit was a joy all the way around. “The looks on not only the student’s faces but the player’s faces when they opened the blessing boxes was a gift in itself.  The true meaning of Christmas,” Spurgeon said.

The Lady Lions have continued to spread holiday cheer to the Palmer community.  On Saturday, the home of a pre-k student that received the blessing box burned to the ground and everything in it was a total loss.  The family escaped without harm.

By Monday night, the women’s basketball team once again rallied with clothing donations and gift cards for the family.  They were able to add their donations to those raised by the community of Palmer, which totaled over $7,000.

On top of the blessing boxes, SAGU was able to partner with Palmer Elementary and the Fall in Love with a Good Book campaign to distribute nearly 500 books to the students.

Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu or by calling 1-888-YES-SAGU.

Contact: Natalie Tristan, SAGU SID, [email protected]