Lions and Lioness clubs lead school supply drive

Organizers say the second annual Stuff the Bus was a success.

All donations will benefit students in the Iola-Scandinavia School District.

Held Saturday, Aug. 8, at Iola Sentry Foods, the school supply drive was coordinated by the Iola Lions and Iola Lioness clubs.

Lioness Maggie Jones coordinated the event.

“I was amazed at the amount of community support for the project,” Jones said. “People dropped supplies off at the Sentry store all the preceding week and on Saturday the supplies just kept coming and coming. We’re so grateful to have such a generous community.”

With the assistance of Doug and Nathan Kulinski at Iola Sentry Foods and all the people who brought items, the estimated retail value of the donated supplies was $2,600.

Added to that was $190 in cash donations, and $330 from Saturday’s Lioness brat fry at Sentry Foods, making a grand total of over $3,100.

District Administrator and Lions Stuff the Bus Chairman David Dyb was overwhelmed by the response.

“By November, many students will have used up a lot of their supplies, and teachers and counselors will be grateful to have all these items to distribute,” he said.

“Sometimes new students come to I-S during the school year, often without school supplies, and it will be wonderful to have this great stock to choose from,” said Lioness Jeannine Harbridge, an aide at the I-S Elementary School.

“On behalf of the school district, I want to express appreciation to the community for supporting Stuff the Bus,” Dyb said. “I am honored to partner with the Iola Lions/Lioness on this local service project. The supplies will be greatly appreciated by our students and staff.”

Others who assisted with the success of the event were Lioness Sherry Neidert and Lion Jack Kuhr.
The I-S School District provided the school bus.