Wyeth Payne, a 3rd grader at Normal Park Museum Magnet School, had a "Stuff the Bus" birthday party on Saturday at TAG Gymnastics. Instead of birthday presents, Wyeth asked her friends to bring school supplies to donate to the United Way of Greater Chattanooga "Stuff the Bus" school supply donation drive to help Hamilton County public school students and teachers. Wyeth's friends happily obliged, and the girls made a "Stuff the Bus" sign at the party.
The United Way "Stuff the Bus" donation drive collects school supplies for Hamilton County public school students. The goal this year is to collect $60,000 worth of school supplies.
According to United Way, 58.8% of HCDE students are classified as "economically disadvantaged".
"Many of these students don't come to school with the supplies they need, nor can their parents afford to pay the school's supply fee.
As a result, teachers end up spending more than $1000 a year out of pocket buying supplies for their classroom to help their students," officials said.
United Way will collect "Stuff the Bus" donations through the end of October. For more information, go to: http://www.liveunitedchattanooga.org/www/docs/1330.2955/stuff-the-bus-united-way-of-greater-chattanooga.html.