Health & Fitness
Rotary Club of Wheaton Donates 1200 Backpacks to Needy Children
Recently, the Rotary Club of Wheaton donated 1200 backpacks to Humanitarian Service Project (HSP) . They were able to afford this sizable donation by running an Annual Backpack Drive by raising money to buy the backpacks. Thanks to The Rotary Club of Wheaton’s efforts, 1200 needy students throughout DuPage County can return to school with a brand new backpack. The Club has supported Humanitarian Service Project for over 20 years!
Former Wheaton school administrator and current President of The Wheaton Rotary, Lori Belha, spearheaded the effort. The funds for the drive were raised through the club’s annual Christmas Inn fundraiser and by the support of many individuals and businesses throughout the area. According to Belha, the project is a “real community effort,” with a number of local organizations and people contributing to its success. Wheaton Rotary Club’s motto this year is “pay it forward” which has inspired them to aim for new levels of success with this annual initiative. In addition to these backpacks, The Wheaton Rotary’s annual drive also supports School District 200.
The backpacks were donated to the Humanitarian Service Project’s annual School Supply Project in which individuals and businesses around the DuPage and Kane County area donate new notebooks, folders, pencils, pens, crayons, etc. so that they can be given to children that can’t afford these back to school necessities. Through their School Supply drive HSP supports the DuPage Regional Office of Education’s Back to School Fair. The fair is being held at the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park on August 7, 2013. After the fair, HSP also sends supplies directly to area schools in Dupage and Kane County with large populations of children living in poverty .
