The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis Continues 30+ Year Motion for Kids Program

Legal Community to Distribute Gifts, Food, Books and Crafts on Saturday (Dec. 4)
to 1,600 Local Children in Foster Care or Impacted by the Justice System

St. Louis, MO – The 32^nd annual Motion for Kids (MFK) holiday gift-giving project continues in 2021 with a revised format. Approximately 1,600 metropolitan St. Louis area children who are in the foster care system, or children whose lives have been severely impacted by the criminal justice system, will receive gifts and other items to bring some holiday cheer to their lives on Sat., Dec. 4.

The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) and the St. Louis Bar Foundation, BAMSL's charitable entity, are proud to partner this year with the St. Louis Fire Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the St. Louis legal community.

A holiday party usually is held annually at Chaifetz Arena to provide cheer to area children who otherwise would not experience the joy of the holiday season.

This year's Motion for Kids was revised to become a drive-through distribution event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 4 at the St. Louis Fire Department Headquarters and training tower facility.

Local children's support organizations and agencies identify the children who will receive the gifts. Those children are matched up with sponsors from the St. Louis legal community (lawyers, judges, paralegals, office administrators, law students, legal secretaries and their families). Each sponsor then is asked to purchase and wrap gifts chosen specifically from each child's wish list. Instead of a random gift, children receive gifts they truly want.

The drive-through event will include demonstrations from the St. Louis Fire Department as well as appearances from Santa Claus and the St. Louis Blues mascot Louie. Additionally, each child identified by the local children's support agencies and organizations will receive their specific gifts; packaged food; an arts and crafts project to complete at home; a book; and some safety information from the St. Louis Fire Department.

BAMSL members Christina Lewis Abate, vice president of underwriting for The Bar Plan, and Cardina Johnson, associate general counsel of the Illinois Education Association, are co-chairs of this year’s Motion for Kids, with significant assistance from an active committee, BAMSL staff and hundreds of volunteers.

With more than 6,500 members in the St. Louis region, including attorneys, judges, paralegals and law firm administrators, The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL) is the oldest and most respected voluntary bar association in the area. BAMSL exists to benefit its members as well as to serve the legal profession and the public at large.