PUTNAM, Connecticut — For the last two years, the annual school drive put on by Putnam EMS has filled at least one ambulance full of school supplies.
This year – with so many families in need of help due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – the goal is two ambulances.
“The first year we started very little, I think a couple [of] backpacks,” Lt. Cody Rogers with Putnam EMS told FOX61 News. “But, it’s gotten bigger every year, and we just keep pushing.”
The summer-long drive kicked off this month and will continue until August 31. Residents who wish to donate can drop off the supplies at the Putnam EMS, located at 191 Church St. Putnam, CT 06260, Their phone number is (860) 928-6996 if anyone has further questions.
Rogers started this school drive almost five years ago.
“What made me start the back-to-school drives was I grew up in that kind of predicament,” he said. “I needed school supplies to go to school and I felt it was a good way to give back.”
During these unprecedented times due to COVID-19, some families need more help than others.
“We’ve collected quite a bit and with this COVID right now and families struggling to get by, it really helps them quite a bit,” Rogers said. “It’s given them a little bit of reassurance.”
The most essential supplies that students need are backpacks.
“I think our number one [item needed] right now, and it’s been this way for a couple of years, is backpacks,” Rogers said. “It’s a little more expensive than the traditional pencils or pens, so I think backpacks are the ones we struggle with the most.”
In addition to filling up the ambulances, another fundraiser for school supplies is a car rally on Aug. 7, which will feature several high-end vehicles including Lamborghinis and Maserati.
Rogers said the rally will begin in Massachusetts, before making its way to Putnam and then all the way down to Oakdale. The event is free, but donations are encouraged.
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