Help Kiwanis Stuff The Bus With School Supplies August 10th-12th!
by Robin Denning
August 9, 2023, The Dalles, OR— The Dalles Kiwanis Club is preparing for its third annual "Stuff the Bus" project, a school supply drive aimed at filling a bus with vital learning tools for local school children.
Helen Elsmore - 2022
The three-day event, set to take place from August 10th to 12th, 2023, will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Community members are invited to drop off their donations at the school bus parked in front of Staples at 460 Mt Hood Street, next to Safeway, in The Dalles.
Last year's successful event gathered donations including 4343 pencils, 540 erasers, 1874 glue sticks, 669 composition books, 695 packs of filler paper, 706 spiral notebooks, and 275 ring binders. Additional supplies such as scissors, sports backpacks, highlighters, Post-It-Notes, two-pocket folders, and 24-pack crayons were also collected.
The event has previously received major assistance from Staples, where the bus is located, and corporate donations from Northwest Natural Gas, Meadow Outdoor Advertising, and Home Depot. Major gifts from Kiwanis members, the local Rotary Club, and contributions from the general public, including $2,000 from Kiwanis members, were instrumental in the project's success.
The Dalles Kiwanian Helen Elsmore on a school bus stuffed with supplies in 2022
All funds raised are used to purchase supplies, and any leftover money is administered by the schools to provide additional resources for local students.
The "Stuff the Bus" approach was borrowed from another Kiwanis club in the Pacific Northwest District. Organizers and club members express gratitude to the local community for their continued support in adopting the project, donating supplies and money, and volunteering time to staff the bus.
Those interested in participating or learning more about the initiative can contact Kiwanis members or visit the drop-off location during the event.
This article was created in part by AI, using original facts and a previous story and new , relevant information provided by Helen Elsemore and compiled by Robin.
