Dream Drive with NFL Wives at Sam's Club Houston – Giveaway!

Congratulations!!!

Have you ever wondered where your money goes after you drop it into The Salvation Army’s Bell Ringer’s can outside of Sam’s Club and other locations?  After reading this story, you may think twice about passing them by without digging down deep in your pockets.

Last week, I was invited by Sam’s Club to join some pretty awesome ladies on their quest to find the perfect gifts for 10 families in need in the Houston area through donations to The Salvation Army.

Thanks to your giving in 2009, The Salvation Army was able to give NFL Players’ Wives from all over the country as part of the Off the Field Association a budget of $1,000 per qualified family for Christmas gifts and food.

Sam’s Club is working with Off the Field, a professional football players’ wives association, on hosting the fourth annual Dream Drive for The Salvation Army and its Adopt-a-Family program. Through this program, 10 families in 10 select cities across the country will receive $1,000 worth of food and holiday gifts, including clothes, personal items and toys from Sam’s Club.

I was excited to be able to bring Kylie to this event with me to the Salvation Army Dream Drive event at Sam’s Club, because I really wanted her to see that giving comes in more packages than just sending out cloth diapers to families.

We decided to follow around, Shanine Polk, the wife of former Houston Texans linebacker, DaShon Polk.  To us, it felt more like pairing up with her.  She was so gracious to allow Kylie and I to help her shop for our family with three kiddos.  As we walked around Sam’s Club looking for presents for a 15 year old girl, 8 year old boy and 7 year old boy, she told us that she felt so blessed to be able to team up with The Salvation Army and Sam’s Club to help these families through Dream Drive.

Shanine conveyed what many of the other wives were feeling, that Sam’s Club was a great place to come together and find things for the whole family.  As we were walking around, I mentioned that I saw things at Sam’s Club that I’d love to go back and get for my boys  Shanine said that she thought the same, last year, as she attended the event.  She said she just kept looking around thinking, “oh, my daughter would like this!”

This was no easy task!  If I’m not mistaken, we were either the last, or next to last group to check out.  It took us a couple of hours to find the perfect gifts for all members of the family, including a Wii, and the whole time we were there, Kylie was making a mental Christmas list!

Shanine was given a gift budget of $800 and a calculator, and she did a spectacular job, because this was our FINAL total – without putting anything back on the shelves!  In addition to the gifts, each family was given a $200 gift card to purchase food.

I think the best thing about this adventure is that it showed me that no matter how big of a star they are married to or no matter the playing status of their husband, the ladies that I had the privilege of mingling with are, simply put, caring people.  One of the things we kept going back to was the love of family and children, whether it was Shanine and DaShon’s twin boys and preteen girl, my kiddos, or the family on our list.  I even learned that DaShon, now in retirement, dedicates his days to working with children at an alternative school in the Houston area, and Shanine owns a daycare!

Sam’s Club was a great place to come together and find gifts for the whole family at great prices!

It was such and honor to be there with Sam’s Club, The Salvation Army, and members of the Off the Field NFL Players’ Wives Association.  What a joy and blessing this will bring to the families on Christmas morning.

My kiddos and I have already started to put money in the Bell Ringers’ can this year, because we want to help make a difference in the lives of families next year.  Every penny counts.

In conjunction with Sam’s Club‘s involvement in Dream Drive, I have been given the opportunity to give away a fantastic toy, compliments of Sam’s Club.

LeapFrog® Counting Candles Birthday Cake

Mandatory Entry

Visit the Sam’s Club website and tell me what you would put on YOUR Christmas Wish List, AND what you think about Dream Drive!?

Additional Entries

1.  Like Sam’s Club on Twitter! (1 entry)
2.  Like Salvation Army on Twitter! (1 entry)
3.  Like Sam’s Club on Facebook! (1 entry)
4.  How do you give unto others either during the holidays or year ’round?? (1 entry)
5. Like 50in8 on Facebook (1 entry)
6. Subscribe to 50in8 via email at the top right of the page (1 entry)
7. Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)
8. Click on the little Facebook like at the top of this review!
9. TWEET THE FOLLOWING –  #Win a @LeapFrog toy & Find out how @SalvationArmyUS, @SamsClub and #NFL Wives helped families through #DreamDrive! http://wp.me/pY0pt-s2 (1 entry per tweet, unlimited entries – just don’t overdo it! I’m sure your followers would appreciate it!)

THIS Giveaway will end Wed, Dec 29 at NOON Central.  One winner will be chosen via “And the Winner Is…” application on 50in8.com.

Disclosure: This post is a review of my visit to Sam’s Club during the Dream Drive event with the Salvation Army and the Off the Field NFL Players’ Wives Association.  It is not a review of the toy provided to one of my readers by Sam’s Club. The opinion in this review are that of my own, and I was not compensated for this post.