As area youngsters prepared to head back to school earlier this month, volunteers with the Washington County School Supply Drive worked to ensure that all students would have everything they needed in order to succeed.
Working at St. Luke's Episcopal Church on Aug. 10 – three days before classes began throughout the Bartlesville Public School District – volunteers stuffed 1,699 backpacks with various school supplies. The volunteers worked off of supply lists from individual students who had signed up for the program throughout Washington County . Students from all 12 of the sites within the Bartlesville Public School District were represented as well as those from the Dewey, Caney Valley , Copan and Osage Hills school districts.
Now in its eighth year, the Washington County School Supply Drive has been an ever-growing endeavor. During the first year, 442 backpacks were stuffed. Last year saw 1,668 backpacks filled up.
More than 200 volunteers assisted with this year's effort. Each volunteer would pick up a supply list and then weave their way through the tables on which the various supplies – such as notepads, pens, markers and binders – were arranged. Once a backpack was filled up, another list would be grabbed and the process would begin again. The stuffing effort on Aug. 10 was completed in just over two hours.
On the morning of Aug. 11, students and parents lined up at St. Luke's to pick up their backpacks. Volunteers were again on hand, this time to give each youngster his or her backpack. The students and parents were able to check the contents of their backpacks, and extra supplies were available to correct any mistakes.
A fundraising campaign covers the cost of the Washington County School Supply Drive effort, and this year nearly $20,000 had been raised by Aug. 14. The money covered the cost of this year's supplies and helped to start progress toward the 2009 effort. Hundreds of individuals, clubs, foundations and businesses donate their time and money toward the Washington County School Supply Drive , which moved under the umbrella of the Bartlesville Community Foundation earlier this year.
Those who are interested in learning more about this year's Washington County School Supply Drive can go online to http://packthebackpacks.org.
Students and parents check the contents of their backpacks earlier this month at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church after they were filled with supplies during the annual Washington County School Supply Drive. Below, tables were filled with supplies at St. Luke's before more than 200 volunteers stuffed 1,699 backpacks on Aug. 10.
