Airbus volunteers and their family members in Mobile were proud to take part in the Starfish Project to help provide uniforms for local school kids!
Airbus Group, the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility, Belk, Continental Motors, the Mobile Airport Authority, the South Mobile Industrial Association (SMIA), and VT-MAE contributed funds and volunteers for the project, which hosted 170 students from the Dauphin Island Parkway community at a back-to-school shopping and fashion show event. During the program, each student participated in a shopping experience to receive 2 school uniforms, and then participated in a fashion show along with some of the volunteers and family members who helped them shop.
The project was named for an essay entitled “The Star Thrower” by Loren Eisely: a young man is walking along the shore picking up starfish and throwing them back into the ocean. When an onlooker questions his actions, the young man responds that the starfish have washed upon the shore and will die unless they are returned to the water. The onlooker commented that there are miles and miles of beach with many starfish and “you can’t possibly make a difference!” The young man picks up another starfish and throws it back into the sea saying, “It made a difference for that one.”
Michelle Hurdle, Director of Economic Development and Community Affairs at Airbus Group said, “There are a lot of children across Mobile County who need the very basics to attend school. Uniforms are a basic, but critical, need. The Starfish Project complements some existing uniform programs and allows more students to receive the clothes they need. The shopping experience and fashion show added a little fun to the process.”
