July 23rd, 2024 by WCBC Radio
The annual County United Way “Stuff the Bus” school supply drive to benefit students in Allegany County has returned this year. Stuff the Bus will take place on Friday, August 16, from 9 am to 5 pm in the Walmart and Staples parking lots in LaVale. Both stores are helping by allowing a bus to be parked in their parking lots so that volunteers can fill it with school supplies. “This event has been incredibly well supported in the past,” said Michele Walker, County United Way Executive Director. “It is nice that the business community and individuals understand the needs of some of the students and support this event.”
Everyone can help by purchasing new supplies and dropping them off to fill the bus at Walmart or Staples in LaVale on August 16 or at one of the other designated drop-off sites before the event date.
New this year, two competitions have been incorporated into Stuff the Bus – a best decorated box contest and the most donated items. While County United Way will have some boxes for businesses to decorate, businesses are being encouraged to decorate their own boxes. Anyone who decorates a box can take a picture of the box and email it to Keira Shilling at Keiralea.s@gmail.com, Tasha Smearman at Tasha Smearman (tsmearman@mtb.com) or Michele Walker michele@cuw.org or bring the box to Staples or Wal Mart the day of the event to be entered into the contest. For the most donated items, interested businesses should contact the CUW office to receive additional information. However, each item collected will be given a point value and all points will be added to determine the winner.
Items being collected include backpacks, brown paper lunch bags, colored pencils, composition books, crayons, erasers, glue sticks/glue, hand sanitizer, highlighters, notebook paper, paper plates, pencils, pens, pencil cases, post-it notes, reusable water bottles, scissors, thin dry-erase markers, 3-prong folders w/pockets, 3-ring binders, 1-subject spiral notebooks, 3-subject spiral notebooks, washable markers, and zip lock bags.
Supplement distributions will take place throughout the school year. Supplies will be distributed to the Board of Education so that all students are prepared and ready to learn. Supplies will also be distributed to local branches of the Allegany County Library so that children going to the library to complete homework have the necessary tools.
Monetary donations are welcome. Checks should be made payable to County United Way, 113A South Centre Street, Cumberland, MD 21502, with School Supply Drive noted on the check memo.
