Donations needed to help equip Aurora students for school

Aurora Methodists are seeking donations of funds and school supplies for a school-supply giveaway on Saturday, Aug. 9.

The eighth annual event will be held at Greenman Elementary School, 729 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora, from 9 to 11 a.m., or until supplies are distributed.

Students from Aurora schools are invited to get school supplies and backpacks. Students must attend to receive supplies.

The event is sponsored by Wesley and Fourth Street United Methodist churches in Aurora.

Twenty volunteers from both churches combined will stage and distribute supplies.

About 350 pupils received supplies during last year's first distribution at Greenman, "adopted" by Wesley UMC several years ago. The first six giveaways were held at Wesley.

School supplies needed are three-ring binders, pocket folders, yellow highlighters, crayons, pencil sharpeners, washable markers, spiral-bound notebooks, black and blue-ink pens, rulers with inches and centimeters, supply boxes, round-tip scissors, notebook paper, pencils, pink erasers and glue sticks.

The Rev. John Bell, Wesley pastor, said the giveaway is organized by Aurora Methodist churches and businesses that care about the education and health of local children.

Bell provided free doughnuts to students and caregivers lined up to enter last year's distribution.

"This is a community effort to give necessary school supplies to students who could not otherwise afford them," he said.

"We care that kids should have the tools to learn with at school. We hope to give away backpacks of school supplies to students from all grades from the East and West Aurora school districts," Bell said. "We will purchase school supplies at local stores to keep the effort in Aurora. Both the value of the supplies and monetary donations are tax deductible."

For more information, call (630) 896-1033 or email info@schoolsupplygiveaway.org.