Philip Sparn | ClarksvilleNow.com
psparn@ClarksvilleNow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The new Academy Sports + Outdoors store in Clarksville officially opens Friday morning at 8 a.m. but the retail outlet opened their doors one day early for dozens of kids who have parents stationed at Fort Campbell and gave them all a free shopping spree Thursday evening.
Approximately 30 kids from Fort Campbell’s Armed Forces YMCA were given $100 gift cards to buy whatever they wanted at the new Academy Sports + Outdoors location at 130 South Hampton Place.
All the kids from Barkley Elementary, Marshall Elementary and Wassom Middle School were guided by a team of Academy associates as they happily bought soccer balls, basketballs, shoes, skateboards, baseball gloves, bats, fishing poles, clothes and much more.
Eight-year-old Owen Harris said he had a great time getting gear for soccer season and a skateboard.
Owen’s dad Sgt. Claude Harris with the 1st Brigade at Fort Campbell thought the shopping spree was a great experience for the kids and the Clarksville-Ft. Campbell community.
“This is pretty special,” said Harris. “It’s pretty cool that Academy did this for these guys.”
Some of the kids bought gear and apparel for their favorite sports and some bought things that their whole family could enjoy, but overall, all the kids enjoyed being the first customers at the new store.
Eleven-year-old Trinity Wilson said she had a blast shopping at the new store as she got a RipStik for herself and toys for her whole family with her $100 dollar shopping spree.
“It is awesome that Academy did this for our military families,” said Shirley West, director of the Armed Forces YMCA at Fort Campbell. “I have been involved at Fort Campbell for many years and I don’t think I ever seen a store embrace the community like this and do something so unique for military kids and their families.”
Jessie Hicks, mother of 8-year-old Kaden Hicks, was really glad her son was able to participate in the shopping spree while his dad Sgt. Jeff Hicks is deployed in Afghanistan.
“I hope it will give him (Kaden) a chance to get some new gear and allow him to get outside more and try out some different sports,” said Hicks.
The new sports, outdoor and lifestyle retail outlet offers a broad assortment of sports and leisure products, footwear and apparel along with hunting, fishing and camping equipment.
The new 71,000 square-foot Clarksville store is located just across Wilma Rudolph Blvd. from Governors Square Mall and is expected to employ 150 people from the greater Clarksville area.
Photos by Philip Sparn | ClarksvilleNow.com
