Published: July 24, 2008 11:02 am            

Stuff the Bus campaign keeps rolling

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — The United Way took a big step forward Wednesday in its goal to provide school supplies for all Jefferson County students in need of help during the Stuff the Bus event.

“I’m a bit nervous,” United Way of South Central Illinois executive director Rhonda McCowen said. “We just don’t know if we’ll have enough until it’s all here.”

This is the second year for Stuff the Bus, and last year the effort provided school supplies for just over 800 area children. This year the goal is to provide supplies for every child in the county that needs a bag or who qualifies for free or reduced lunches — which almost doubles last years’ collections, McCowen said.

“It’s a challenge to collect for 1,000, and with the extra, we just hope the community comes through,” McCowen said. Although the bus was stuffed with some supplies Wednesday, she said it will stay at the Wal-Mart parking lot through the weekend for more supplies, and donation boxes will continue to be available at local businesses.

“I’m proud of our businesses and know we’ve been able to collect a lot more than last year,” JCCC executive director Floyd Brookman said. “This year it wasn’t a new idea, and the businesses knew how much it benefited children last year. The community has shown a great response.”

District 80 Primary Center Principal Dee Ann Schnautz said the Stuff the Bus effort will not only affect her district in a positive way, but all county schools.

“District 80 has a large enrollment, but this will help all students in their education,” Schnautz said. “By having the school supplies available, it starts all kids off on equal footing and takes stress off of parents. Also, a lot of teachers spend their own money on supplies for their students. This helps in many ways.”

A new tradition was started Wednesday with a traveling trophy which will be presented annually to the business which donates the most supplies or funds for Stuff the Bus. The award this year was given to Continental Resources, which donated 1,000 backpacks with enough supplies to fill each of them.

“I was sitting at lunch one day worrying about how we were going to fill this need when the phone rang,” McCowen recalled. “It was Nida Woodfall from Continental Resources and she said, ‘We want to help. Can you use 500 backpacks?’ I was shocked. I could not believe it. Since then, Continental Resources was able to send not just 500, but 1,000 backpacks and supplies. It was because our community had an organized effort in place that met the philanthropic needs of one of our great local businesses that we were able to get this large donation.”

McCowen said the Continental Resources donation alone was valued at $14,000.

“Kids are the most important thing we have when looking to the future,” Continental Resources Eastern Division President Richard Streator said as he accepted the traveling trophy from McCowen on Wednesday. “To give them hope we have to get them started with an education and the supplies they need to get that education. ... An education will give them hope and a chance to dream and when you dream, you have a goal to shoot for.”

McCowen said monetary donations will also continue to be accepted, with the money raised used to purchase school supplies for the Stuff the Bus effort.

Additional information about how to donate supplies or funds to the effort is available by contacting McCowen at 242-8000.

        

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