At aPalm Beach, FL - July 16, 2010 -
At a news conference today at the BB&T Bank branch on
Lakeview Avenue in Downtown West Palm Beach, NCCI Holdings,
Inc. Executive Assistant and President of the Back to School
Bash Committee Stephanie Saraco invited the public to donate
school supplies and make cash contributions to the 16th
Annual Back to School Bash. BB&T Bank Senior Vice President
Dave Doege announced that donations of school supplies will
be accepted at all 16 BB&T branch locations throughout Palm
Beach County.
Lists of needed school supplies and
the bank branch locations are available online at
www.backtoschoolbashpbc.org. A $50
donation will fill a backpack with school supplies and $100
will provide school supplies and first day of school clothes
for one child.
Donations by check should be made payable to �Community Back
to School Bash� and mailed to: Community Back to School
Bash, Inc., 1712 2nd Ave North, Lake Worth, FL
33460. All donations are tax deductible to the extent
provided by law. Donations can also be made online at
www.backtoschoolbashpbc.org.
With public school classes
resuming Aug. 17, just a little more than a month from now,
Saraco said public support is needed to assure that more
than 11,000 local children from families in need can start
the school year with necessary school supplies and
appropriate clothing.
�Studies show that children who are
well prepared on the first day of school with needed school
supplies and appropriate school clothes are much more likely
to succeed during the school year,� she said.
According
to the National Retail Federation, in 2009 parents spent an
average of $204.67 on clothing, $93.59 on shoes, and $82.62
on school supplies to outfit just one child for school.
For thousands of local families, especially in the current
economy, these expenses are out of reach. The Community
Back to School Bash has collaborated with more than 50
nonprofit organizations throughout Palm Beach County that
serve
students
who are disadvantaged,
underprivileged, homeless, at risk of homelessness, or in
foster care
by providing supplies, backpacks, information, and resources
to empower children to begin the school year with
confidence.
All
families must be pre-registered and be deemed qualified to
receive the school supplies and clothing, which are
distributed in late July and early August in three locations
in
West Palm Beach, Delray Beach and Belle Glade.
Karen Krumholtz of The Spirit of
Giving Network, who coordinates the Back to School Bash
Delray Beach distribution event, announced that families
also receive lunch, free haircuts, clothing, books, and free
health screenings as well as free immunizations and school
physicals at the West Palm Beach and Delray Beach
locations. She thanked the major sponsors of the Back to
School Bash including Aramark, Global Spectrum, Comcast,
Office Depot, Costco, United Way of Palm Beach County,
Jarden Consumer Solutions, and United Way of The Town of
Palm Beach.
BB&T Bank has selected the Back to
School Bash as the focus of its annual Lighthouse Project
philanthropic effort in Palm Beach County. BB&T has made a
financial donation to the Back to School Bash and many of
its local employees will donate significant volunteer hours
to the cause.
For more information, visit
www.backtoschoolbashpbc.org
or call
Stephanie Saraco at 561-893-3418.