Representatives of the community gather around 120 backpacks piled high in a Ford Escape to present them to Point in Time on Aug. 14. The Backpacks for Kids campaign is initiated by Bell Canada and is done with support and sponsorships from the community including from the Haliburton Lions Club WRD Cottage Rentals Gooderham Firehall the Ladies Auxiliary of the Haliburton Legion Branch 129 and Bank of Montreal. From left Dawn Hurd of Point in Time Joan Wilson of Point in Time Richard Wannan of BMO Jim Frost of the Lions Club Jim Winn of Bell Canada Kathryn Kidd of the Lions Club Liz Boxall of Bell Canada and Lisa Hamilton of Point in Time. /ANGELICA INGRAM Staff
Since its inception the Bell Canada Backpacks for Kids initiative has grown from 18 backpacks to 120 in just 12 years.
The backpacks donated by Bell have been filled with back to school supplies thanks to generous donations from Haliburton area Bell employees and the Peterborough engineering office. Donations have also been received from community sponsors WRD Cottage Rentals Gooderham Firehall the Ladies Auxiliary of the Haliburton Legion Branch 129 the Haliburton Lions Club and Bank of Montreal employees.
Also instrumental in the success of Backpacks for Kids have been two additional community partners Needful Things and Point in Time Centre for Children Youth and Parents.
Rhonda Cooper owner of Needful Things supplies the items at a discount and generously donates her time and that of her family members to fill all of the backpacks. Each backpack contains supplies such as pencils crayons coloured pencils markers paper and notebooks a ruler pencil sharpener etc.
The backpacks are given to Point in Time ensuring they are delivered to children in need throughout Haliburton County.
Backpacks for Kids began in eastern Canada in 2003.
-Submitted
