DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s that time of year again when students are getting ready to head back to school, and some South Florida organizations want to make sure they start off the year right.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office hosted a back-to-school event during the tax-free weekend to help collect school supplies for students, Saturday.
The event took place at a Five Below store in Dania Beach along Southwest 17th Avenue, off Stirling Road.
Teachers, who on average spend $700 of their own money on school supplies, showed up to support the event and meet students.
“I happen to work at a school in this area that is a recipient of supplies that come from this type of event,” said Gloria Pellecer, a teacher at Bethune Elementary School. “Our students and our parents, we are the type of schools that do need these supplies. We have students that come to school without every year.”
BSO partnered with the Broward Education Foundation, which will stock the donated items for teachers who need them for students whose families can’t afford essential items.
Faculty from Title 1 Broward County schools can shop for free at the foundation’s supply center twice a year for items they need.
“Without these types of events, then some of our students wouldn’t have what they need, and what happens is teachers end up going and purchasing with their own funds the supplies that our students need in our classrooms,” said Pellecer, “so this helps the teachers, it helps the schools, it helps the students, it helps the families. It just benefits everybody.”
Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie also showed up and shopped for items that will be donated.
“This is a great partnership with the Broward Education Foundation. We’re enormously thankful to them for all the scholarships they give out to our kids, the grants they give to our teachers for innovation,” said Runcie, “and they actually run a school supply store where they give supplies to thousands of teachers that come there.”
Some of the supplies collected include erasers, crayons, glue sticks, composition notebooks, pencils and paper.
The idea behind the event is to provide students basic, essential supplies to start the school year right.
“This type of thing really benefits our schools, it benefits our teachers,” said Pellecer, “and we’re so appreciative of any type of events like this where we are receiving the benefits directly, so we’re very proud this is happening in our community, and we’re very thankful for everything we’ve received.”
With more than half of Broward County students enrolled in free and reduced lunch programs, many families can’t afford school supplies.
Events like this one make sure students have everything they need to succeed in the classroom.
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