Section: Editorial Edition: Final Page: 21A Memo: SATURDAY SPEAKUP

Illustration: Olga Colon gets her new backpack from Stephanie Stein

I wish you could have seen the faces of the 3,000 homeless, abused and migrant kids who were surprised to receive their new backpacks filled with school supplies. The thanks was in their smiles and the tears of parents who knew that the thoughtfulness of strangers helped their child to start school with the tools needed to learn this school year. It was both heartbreaking and fulfilling to find that for many of these children, this backpack was the first one they had ever owned.

Kids 4 Kids was blessed to have The Herald, CBS 4's Neighbors 4 Neighbors, Target and The Kids at Jack Gordon Elementary as partners. Through their efforts, countless individuals and agencies opened their hearts to these children.

This campaign showed that everyone has something to give. From the children who donated $5 of their allowance to the individual who sent $1,000, to the volunteers who gave so selflessly. Target was not only there with its corporate support, but store volunteers also helped to show that each individual can make a difference by his or her good deeds. Aventura Mall raised awareness by having a drive to give shoppers an opportunity to sponsor a needy child. Warner Brothers gave kids who donated school supplies a private screening of Iron Giant. The Scouts did projects and university students and private companies held drives. Arizona Tea donated 10,000 boxes of juice to quench the thirst of the kids as they ``shopped'' for their backpack. A+ Mini Storage in Kendall donated a truck to transport the backpacks and a storage facility for the forthcoming year. Virgin Atlantic had 1,000 backpacks flown in from London. U.S. Office Products donated a fax machine and the kind folks at Lanier donated a copy machine.

As the campaign came to a close, the Department of Children & Families requested 200 backpacks for a party to help foster kids. The backpacks were gone, and we didn't have enough to serve their kids. That very day an unexpected check for $1,000 arrived from a couple with hearts as warm as the sun. The foster kids got backpacks, too.

Volunteers with Kids 4 Kids - of which I am founder - spent five days stuffing school supplies into backpacks and another week visiting 2,000 homeless kids, 500 migrant kids and 500 abused and foster kids. We couldn't have done it without you South Florida!

BETH DAVIS

Miami

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