Bartell Drugs Hosts Drive for School Supplies

Seattle-based Bartell Drugs kicks off its "School Tools for Kids in Need" supply drive on Monday, Aug. 8 at all of its 58 locations, including its .

The eighth-annual effort, which runs until Aug. 28, supports local students through World Vision's Kids in Need Resource Center in Renton.

Donated school supplies will help re-stock the resource center, where teachers with students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs can "shop" free of charge for school supplies to help meet students' needs. Over the past year, 120 schools from throughout the Puget Sound region were served by the center, with an average pick up of $700 in donated items for each of the nearly 2,500 teacher visits.

According to Federal Way-based World Vision, a globally-known charitable organization, as many as 58,000 local students could begin the school year without the basic school supplies.

A "Basic Needs" list of suggested donation items can be found in Bartell's "School Aisles" section and includes:

• Paper Mate  #2 Pencils-20 Count
• Bic Cristal or Round Stic Ink Pens-10 pack (blue or black)
• Elmer's Glue-Glue-All or School Glue/4 oz. bottles
• Kids' Scissors-pointed or blunt
• Avery Glue Stic/2 pack-Acid-free, photo-safe, permanent and washable
• Pentel Hi-Polymer Erasers-3 pack
• Avery Poly Binders-1/2" or 1" sizes
• Crayons-24 colors
• Avery Hi-Liter Markers-yellow or pink
• Erasers: 25-pack cap erasers or 4-pack pink

— This information is from a Bartell Drugs news release. It is being posted as a public service announcement. The Sammamish Family YMCA and Hopelink also are collecting school supplies for area children.