‘Tis the season for giving, and The Jack Brewer Foundation & Serving Ministries is once again supporting the needs of Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) students at Pine Ridge Education Center, this time, by crossing off items on the wish list of every child at the school.

Jack Brewer, a former NFL player and founder of The Jack Brewer Foundation, has partnered with Pine Ridge Education Center for more than four years. During a recent conversation with the school’s principal, Dr. Henry L. Brown, Brewer learned of a student who was not attending school because he did not have shoes. “I got up and immediately went to the store and purchased shoes for the student and delivered them that same day. You should have seen the smile on the child’s face,” Brewer said.

That experience prompted Brewer to ask Principal Brown to provide him with a Christmas wish list for every student at the school. With the help of donors and supporters, Brewer will present this special holiday surprise to the students on Monday, December 14, at 10 a.m., at Pine Ridge Education Center, 1251 S.W. 42nd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have dealt with families who were homeless, lost loved ones to the virus, lost employment and experienced food insecurity,” Brown said. “I am grateful to the Jack Brewer Foundation for making this Christmas a special time for our students.”

Pine Ridge Education Center is an alternative center providing behavioral, mental and academic support to at-risk students in BCPS. Earlier this year, The Jack Brewer Foundation donated $50,000 for an after-school program to assist students with their academics, while also providing athletic activities.