Staff Report
Beaufort County Schools, the Beaufort County United Way and the Washington Walmart Super Center have teamed up to collect school supplies for economically-disadvantaged students in the area.
The collection campaign begins Monday and runs until Aug. 31. During this time, bins will be available in all Walmart stores to collect donated school supply items which will be distributed locally to low-income public school students. During Tax Free weekend, Stuff the Bus will conduct its traditional event to “stuff” a school bus with school supplies on Saturday, Aug. 4. The yellow bus will be parked in front of the Washington Walmart from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tax Free Saturday.
“We could not be more thrilled with the success of the ‘Build a Backpack’ supply drive last year,” said Ronny Hayes, regional vice president of Walmart. “It is our hope that the success of this campaign piloted here in North Carolina … will ensure that the neediest students be the recipients of the collected items and continue to serve as a model across the country.”
Now in its second year, the 2012 “Build A Backpack” back-to-school supply drive is the largest one ever conducted by Walmart in North Carolina, involving all 139 local Walmart stores across the state.
In other areas of the state, the campaign is spearheaded by Communities in Schools North Carolina (CISNC). Since there is no local chapter of CISNC, Beaufort County United Way will serve as local sponsor and partner with Walmart and Beaufort County Schools to combine its successful “Stuff the Bus” drive with “Build A Backpack.”
“The combining of Build A Backpack with Stuff the Bus will essentially expand a tremendously successful Stuff the Bus campaign from one day to one month and provide much needed school supplies to those in need here in Beaufort County,” said Mark Hamblin, executive director of Beaufort County United Way.
Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps said the district is fortunate to have such strong community support.
“This type of community partnership is a priceless contribution to the success of our students,” Phipps said.