Roachdale residents pitch in to donate backpacks for students

Saturday, August 11, 2012
Roachdale citizens are providing elementary students with a backpack filled with school supplies. Brandy and Chris Muse (left, center), owners of Muse Heating and Cooling, contributed the bags to the cause, which has been organized by Tammy Folck (right).

ROACHDALE -- A small group of dedicated citizens are aiming to make a big difference in at Roachdale Elementary. On Monday more than 125 backpacks filled with supplies will be donated to the children of Roachdale.

"We decided to pull together as a community," organizer Tammy Folck said. "We went to Walmart and got the list for the K-5 students and bought everything they need. It will be fully equipped."

Folck, along with other donors Holly Cook, Muse Heating and Cooling, Tri-County Bank and Trust, Presbyterian Church, Riggle's Hardware and many more individuals in the Roachdale community, spent more than $4,000 on the paper, pencils, pens, glue, backpacks and other supplies that will help families in Roachdale who would have a difficult time paying for the cost of school themselves.

"If that family is able to take that money and put it toward a light bill, or put a meal on the table," Folck said, "it's worth it all."

The last part of the piece, Folck, were the backpacks themselves, which were donated by Chris and Brandy Muse.

Folck was hoping to buy the book bags at Walmart, but found the only affordable ones to be too small and impractical. She turned to the Muses.

"The price of school is so high anyway," Brandy said. "I didn't want to see a fifth-grader walking around with a Dora the Explorer backpack. I wanted to make sure they got something that was legit."

North Putnam senior Lacy Taylor also took initiative in the project, providing 27 of the backpacks herself.

The open house will be held at Roachdale Elementary on Monday, Aug. 13 from 5-7 p.m.

Backpacks filled with supplies will be available in the gymnasium.

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