WKTV Staff
There are still a few days left to help area students get ready for school this fall by donating school supplies to the annual School Supply Santa campaign.
Set to wrap up on Aug. 8, School Supply Santa is actually the idea of Byron Center resident Denise Kooiker. In 2007, Kookier, a hair stylist, decided to hold a drive to collect school supplies when one of her clients told her about numerous families not being able to purchase backpacks, crayons, pencils, notebooks and other items that students need to start the school year.
Eleven years later, the program has grown, helping students in several school districts such as Kelloggsville, Godwin Heights, Wyoming, and Godfrey Lee. Now the organization collects boxes of school supplies that are distributed to the various schools.
There are numerous sites throughout the West Michigan area that are collecting items such at Kellogg Community Credit Union at the Metro Health Village and at its Patterson Avenue location; the YMCA Spartan location on Gezon Parkway; Byron Center’s South Harbor Church; Peach Wave along with several businesses in the Metro Health Village; For the Kids Gymnastics on 44th Street; and several local Starbucks. For a complete list of locations, visit the website, schoolsupplysanta.com.
Items that are needed are backpacks, crayons, colored pencils, dry erase markers, ear buds, folders, glue sticks, Post-it notes, Kleenex, pencils, markers, notebooks three-ring binders, and composition notebooks. Monetary donations also are accepted.
For more information, visit the website, schoolsupplysanta.com.
