Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE FIRST two Washington School students at the Adopt-A-Backpack giveaway in Bessemer on Saturday, scoping out the different bags. The young hard charger in blue is Eli Pangrazzi and the young lady helping him is Janea Sampson.
By IAN MINIELLY
Bessemer - Saturday morning at Amy Ackley Anderson's TroutLily Art and Design studio and shop on Sophie Street, the third annual backpack give away for students at the Washington Elementary school was held. Thrivent, Walmart and the Gogebic Association of Retired School Personnel as well as over 30 other contributors came together to provide the packs and supplies, as well as the refreshments and snacks, according to Al Gaiss.
All told, 55 backpacks were available for the kids, but according to Gaiss, with sports, camping, vacations, and other reasons, usually about a third or more of the packs will be waiting for their special kid when school starts. Not being able to pick it in person did not disqualify a kid from getting their backpack and school supplies.
The kindergarten, second, and a handful from sixth grade studnets received backpacks filled to the brim with assorted school supplies. Emily Stafford, the Washington School kindergarten teacher said she is currently at 18 students, but more seem to be signing up daily and she expects to have somewhere in the 20's when all is said and done.
Gaiss informed the crowd, "We are very excited to be here in TroutLily, one of our PopUp Shops for the third year of doing this. God willing we will be back next year for a fourth."
