Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association raises $4,735 for local food pantry

Every November in exchange for a monetary donation to the Crystal Lake Food Pantry, teachers, staff and administrators at Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 are awarded an opportunity to wear jeans to work!

The Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association (CLETA) started the Fall Jeans Day fundraiser nearly a decade ago to support the local food pantry's mission to combat hunger in McHenry County.

This fall, the District 47 teachers' association raised $4,735 for the pantry. "We look forward to the fundraiser every year and like knowing that we're making an impact in our community," said Jean Bowman, CLETA co-president and one of the fundraiser's organizers.

Bowman says the popular fundraiser will be repeated in March, with proceeds this time going to the Gail Dowdakin Memorial Scholarship fund for students pursuing a degree in education.

Bill Eich, president of the Crystal Lake Food Pantry, added, "CLETA's continued support of our efforts to help our neighbors in need is greatly appreciated. Our partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank allows us to purchase items at a significantly reduced cost.

By purchasing food items through the Northern Illinois Food Bank, each dollar donated is used to buy the equivalent of $8 worth of food if we went through a grocery store. This means that the donation from CLETA will actually allow us to purchase $37,880 worth of food for our clients."