U-46 foundation aims to raise $10,000 for COVID-19 relief

Aside from food and medicine, toiletries and cleaning products are the most sought-after items for anyone on lockdown during the coronavirus outbreak.

That's why the U-46 Educational Foundation is seeking to collect $10,000 through an online fundraiser to provide essential personal hygiene products and household cleaning supplies to students and their families in need.

"We knew that with businesses shutting down, our students and families were going to be in dire circumstances quickly," said Dawn Curran, foundation coordinator. "There is actually a demand for toiletries and household cleaners right now. So far, we just hit just over $2,000 (in donations)."

The Foundation board kicked off the relief campaign with $5,000 in seed money to cover students' immediate needs.

"It only gets us so far," Curran said. "With that $5,000 from the Foundation, we are estimating we will be able to prepare about 4,000 care packages."

A shipment of individual-size toiletries, including soap, shampoo and toothpaste, and detergent for laundry and dishes is expected to arrive at an Elgin Area School District U-46 warehouse by early April.

"We bought massive amounts of products ... and we are going to package them for families at the (U-46) food distribution site," Curran said. "We are going to try to keep this up for as long as we can. Hopefully, until schools open up."

Foundation supporters, community members, parents, clubs, and athletic teams are urged to make a small contribution to the "U-46 United" campaign.

"There is a strong sense of community within our schools," foundation President Bud Wilson said. "We have seen time and time again that U-46 families look out for each other and take care of each other, and nobody wants to see a family struggle during this crisis. If we can help each other, we will."

To donate, visit u-46.org/Foundation.