Banks Trail angel shoppers learn from giving

If Caroline Anderson and Jenna Brown ever bought a frying pan before, they were hiding it well.

The seventh-graders unshelved, price checked and put back several while thumbing cell phone calculators in search of the best deal.

“This is not what I normally buy,” Anderson said. “This is kind of weird.”

The math was a little weird for eighth-grader Luke Griffin, too. He was at the Rock Hill Target on Monday morning in a group of nine. It wasn’t obvious whether that math worked in his favor, or against him.

“I’m not really the shopping type,” Griffin said. “With eight girls, they’re the shopping experts.”

In all, about 40 Banks Trail Middle School students spent a couple hours at the store Monday. The school held a “penny wars” competition for the second year, raising money for an angel tree at the school. Students brought in coins for their own homerooms, or to lower the score for opposing classes.

The project raised almost $1,500.

“It was quite the war,” said Tabatha Arce, student council co-sponsor along with Tami Pettigrew.

Shoppers on Monday bought items for students their own age from their own school, and families.

“Everyone has their own groups, and everyone has their own person,” said seventh-grader Audrey Ogburn.

Ogburn shopped with Georgia Sullivan, budgeting $170 per person. The pair looked for discount items, but also for clothes or gifts they would want to receive themselves.

“We still have some breathing room,” Ogburn said, scanning tops as she worked out her price total. “We’re finding some stuff that we would wear.”

Brown had a list for each person in a family, but had some freedom within the list to get certain styles or name brands. Some items on the lists surprised her.

“It’s kind of sad what these kids are asking for that we already have,” Brown said.

Some items were more fun to shop for than others, even if a little foreign. Anderson needed Brown’s help when Lego items made the list.

“Jenna had to find that, because she has a brother,” Anderson said.

Several students on Monday said the shopping taught them more than math.

“We take this stuff for granted,” Anderson said.

Teachers and staff were quick to point to the bottom line for being there.

“To make sure children in our area have a really nice Christmas,” Pettigrew said, “and we’re really excited about that.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Banks Trail angel shoppers learn from giving."