NEWS

Elks donate school supplies to Cohoes students

The spirit of community is alive and well in Cohoes! Nowhere was it more evident than at the Cohoes-Waterford Elks Lodge on August 24, when lodge members welcomed families from the three elementary schools, distributing free school supplies to students in Kindergarten through grade 5. The event was made possible through a national Elks grant and individual efforts of several lodge members.

The service organization, which annually provides a dictionary to every fourth grader in the district, chose the Cohoes schools as the beneficiaries of the National Promise Grant from the Elks National Foundation. Proceeds of the Promise Grant were offered to Cohoes schools, based in part on the high number of needy families served by the district.

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The grant provided $1,000, which the local Elks used to purchase school supplies for students. Worried that there would not be enough supplies to meet demand, individual lodge members sought out additional donations from local businesses to supplement the grant. In all, members were able to assemble nearly 500 sets of school supplies for students from Van Schaick, Abram Lansing and Harmony Hill schools.

“This grant allows us the opportunity to build the character and competence of our local youth,” said Regina Hogan, Past Exalted Ruler of the Cohoes-Waterford Elks. “We are proud to reach out to our communities through charitable events such as this that promote our motto of Elks Care and Elks Share.”

The event was spearheaded by Ms. Hogan and by Ann Dupuis, Youth Activities Chairperson for the Elks.

“In uncertain economic times, these individuals stepped up to make it easier for families to prepare their children for going back to school,” said Superintendent Bob Libby. “They are truly representative of a community that cares.”

All supplies that were not distributed at the August 24 event are being sent to the elementary schools.