Shop with the Jazz Bear event marks 15 years

On Saturday, December 7, over 300 high school students from both Skyridge and Lehi High Schools gathered at Lehi High School to escort 150 local elementary students for the annual Jazz Bear shopping spree.

The event is the brainchild of Becky White and the Jazz Bear. White started the shopping day when she was the marketing teacher at Lehi High School. She and the Jazz Bear collaborated to give kids an opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts for themselves or members of their families. White’s sports marketing students earned money for the students at the annual Mascot Bowl, an exciting event for Lehi citizens. The proceeds from the Mascot Bowl were used to purchase gifts for the students who were selected to attend the shopping day. 

White retired from teaching, and the Mascot Bowl did not continue, so the future of Bear Hugs for Kids was uncertain until last year when Dave Rutter, the Costa Vida/Fat Cats CEO, called White to inquire about restarting the event after COVID-19 shut it down for three years. He generously offered to sponsor the event if White would help organize it. White agreed and hashigh hopes that will be a long-term tradition for the Lehi community. 

When interviewed, White gave much of the credit for the success of the shopping day to a team of dedicated helpers: the White family, Nancy Turner, Carrie Dawson, Stephane Pope, Alpine School District personnel, and the staff at Walmart in Saratoga Springs. “We couldn’t do this without so many helpers,” said White. Brad Greenwood, an administrator from Eaglecrest Elementary, has attended every one of our shopping days since we started. Alpine School District donates the buses, and the drivers donate their time. The drivers conducted a lottery this year to see who would drive the buses. It has been such a great thing to do for these kids over the years.”