The McLoughlin Family Foundation provides the means for the Great Start Shopping Spree, which allows children in Cassopolis and Dowagiac to purchase back-to-school items. (Leader photo/Provided)

One hundred seventy students from Cassopolis and Dowagiac will start their year in some ‘great’ clothes thanks to the McLoughlin Family Foundation.

This is the seventh year the foundation has sponsored the Great Start Shopping Spree. The event, which is a spin-off of the Smart Start program by pro-golfer Phil Mickelson, allows children to get up to $200 in new clothes and supplies for the coming school year.

“We want the children to know that there are people out there that care about them and are proud of them for meeting the criteria to be chosen for this event,” Cyndy Gumpert of the McLoughlin Family Foundation said. “These are children who deserve something special and that is why we want to give them a ‘Great Start’ for a great school year. It has become the signature event for the McLoughlin Family Foundation and we are very proud to offer it to children in Cassopolis and Dowagiac.”

Students in grades 1-4 were selected from the Cassopolis and Dowagiac schools based on academic achievement, strong work habits, good attitude, good attendance and financial need.

Selected students and their parents will meet at the Dowagiac High School on Aug. 15 and will be bused via Royal Excursions to the Target store in Benton Harbor where they will be treated to a private shopping hour.

“It makes us very happy to see the children and their parents as they enjoy picking out the latest fashions in school clothes,” Gumpert said. “The smiles on their faces and the gratitude they express is priceless.”

The event has also inspired other local organizations to help in similar ways.

“We’ve had another organization who thought our event was so terrific that they set up their own shopping event for Marcellus children based on our event.” Gumpert said. “We helped them get started and this is their second year helping out the Marcellus students.  We hope that others will like the idea and want to start something in their own communities, and maybe other students in the area could have an opportunity like this.”