Columbia County firefighters give Christmas hope to Dream Academy kids amid closure

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Columbia County firefighters took children from the closed Dream Academy on a Christmas shopping spree Friday, providing a reunion for kids and teachers who haven’t seen each other since the after-school program shut down in June due to federal funding delays.

Each child received $250 to spend at the Evans Walmart, funded by the fire department’s boot drive collections.

“Today we’re going shopping with a firefighter and as you can see... firefighter right here,” said Khalil Miller, a Dream Academy student, as he walked through the store with firefighter Roy Wright.

Wright, a 25-year veteran with Columbia County Fire, said the shopping trip represents where some of the department’s fundraising efforts go.

“When you see the firefighters out collecting money with the boot drives, this is where some of it goes, to these kids,” Wright said.

The Dream Academy, an after-school program in Columbia County, had to pause operations in June when federal funding was delayed. Director Betty Kelley said the closure has been difficult after 15 years of working with the children.

“I do miss them, and this was a great time for us to get together and for us to see them because we haven’t seen them since June,” Kelley said. “I’ve been doing this for over 15 years, so I have never, not... been with them, you know, and after school. So it’s been very hard.”

Parents have also felt the impact of the program’s closure. Khalil’s mom, Alexia Cardwell, said her family was sad to learn her son and twin daughters wouldn’t get to go to the program this year.

“I was sad because my kids, they really enjoy the program,” Cardwell said. “I just figured since Dream Academy is over that pretty much puts an end to everything. But I was very happy to see that the firemen came together to help the kids out.”

Despite the current closure, Kelley remains determined to reopen the program.

“We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to give up,” she said.

The Dream Academy wrote a children’s book as part of the Georgia Reads Initiative. Proceeds from book sales will go toward reopening the program.

The book costs $10 and can be purchased in person at The Dream Academy or on Amazon.