Last Saturday, local Rotarians and volunteers met up with 45 students from several local elementary schools at the Walmart on 312th Street to take them shopping for Christmas.

This is an annual project by the Federal Way Rotary Club that helps families with their Christmas needs. As each student arrived, they were treated to breakfast (courtesy of Walmart) at the in-store McDonald’s, and then were paired up with a Rotarian or volunteer and sent off to fill their carts with much-needed clothing and toys.

Each student’s shopping partner had a $125 gift card to spend, and had a list of individual sizes, needs and wishes. Some of the kids buy school clothes; others buy games or toys for themselves or siblings.

As in many previous years, a majority of the students exceed the $125 gift card total and their shopping partner gladly picked up the rest of the total.

Walmart store manager Chris Fewell also donated a girls and boys bike that two lucky children won through a random drawing.

Visit www.federalwayrotary.org.