WILMINGTON — Jared Holmes says the free book bag and school supplies activity held the past two weekends at Xidas Park turned out to be “a little overwhelming” in scope.
“It blew up [in size]; we had no idea,” said Holmes.
He noted it had started with 25 book bags, and ended up with more than 300 book bags getting distributed, as well as lots of school supplies for students in a range of grade levels.
A variety of book bags with diverse designs and colors had been selected to appeal to both girls and boys. Some contributors even donated book bags they filled with school supplies, and labeled the bags for a suitable recipient, say “second-grade girls”.
There were also a lot of monetary donations so that organizers could purchase book bags and supplies, said Holmes, who was pleasantly surprised by the amount of money donated.
“It was just amazing how it all happened,” he remarked.
Organizers plan on doing it again next year, though they may change the event location.
Families and children from any of the school districts in Clinton County were eligible for the school-related materials.
The News Journal was one of the collection sites for the items, with donors having the items shipped to the office which helped streamline the roundup process.
