School Supply Drive ready even if students aren’t Marysville Association of Realtors gives collection a head start For Immediate Release 25 July, 2006

When packs of crayons, pencils, glue, and notebooks pile up at collection sites throughout Union County, it can only mean one thing. The United Way School Supply Drive is underway for the ninth straight year. The event typically collects thousands of school tools for students in need at all eight public elementary schools and the lone intermediate school in the county. A School Supply Drive of this scope and magnitude is unduplicated in our community, meeting a true need by helping our students and their teachers by giving them the tools necessary to complete their work in the classroom. The Marysville Association of Realtors is helping United Way kick off its annual School Supply Drive by presenting the organization with a $500 check to purchase materials for area students. The Drive culminates on August 5 with a collection at five area shopping centers. Pictured left to right: Dave Bezusko, United Way Campaign & PR Director; and from the Marysville Association of Realtors: Suzanne Juzwiak, Secretary-Treasurer; Libby Rausch, Awareness Committee Chair; and Dana M. Garrett, President. Not pictured: Susan Ehlers, President-Elect. To kickoff the collection process, the Marysville Association of Realtors donated $500 to United Way for the project. The money will be used to purchase items that turn up in short supply and to help extend the impact of the collection further into the school year. On Saturday August 5, United Way volunteers will be distributing “shopping lists” of needed items at five shopping centers in Union County (Big Lots, K-Mart, Kroger, and Super Wal-Mart in Marysville and Lovejoy’s Market in Plain City). Shoppers are encouraged to pick up an item as they go through the store and drop off the donation on their way out. Those who would like to make a donation prior to August 5 may do so at a pair of collection sites: the Marysville Public Library (231 S. Plum Street) or the United Way office (232 N. Main Street). In addition, a number of area churches will be collecting additional items throughout the summer. Supplies collected by August 5 will then be sorted by inmates at the West Central Correctional Facility and distributed by United Way to each school in time for the first day of classes. Families who need to access school supplies are encouraged to contact their guidance counselor at the beginning of the year. Supplies will be distributed to individuals as needed by school staff from the supply provided to each school. Items being collected include: #2 pencils, colored pencils, 24 or 48-count crayons, hi-liters, 8-count washable markers, wooden rulers, dry-erase markers, plain color book bags, Fiskar scissors, 1.5 inch 3-ring binders, 4-ounce bottles of glue, glue sticks, tissues, 3x5 lined index cards, zip-lock bags, 3x3 post-it notes, wide-ruled composition books, wide-ruled notebook paper, wide-ruled spiral notebooks, and erasers. Schools that will benefit from the supply drive include: Creekview Intermediate, East Elementary, Edgewood Elementary, Mill Valley Elementary, Navin Elementary, and Raymond Elementary in the Marysville Exempted Village School District; Fairbanks Elementary in the Fairbanks Local School District; Plain City Elementary in the Jonathan Alder Local School District; and North Union Elementary in the North Union Local School District. For more information about the School Supply Drive, please contact United Way at (937) 644-8381.