Mahopac Middle School Collects Backpacks for ‘Sandy Kids’
More than 140 youngsters in the Rockaways devastated by Hurricane Sandy have received brand new backpacks filled with games, socks, hats and school supplies, thanks to a Mahopac Middle School project known as “Kids Helping Kids.”
Every classroom was involved, said Dawn Campbell, the Middle School teacher who initiated the effort. By the Saturday before Thanksgiving, 140 backpacks bulging with items designed “to bring a smile to a child’s face” were on their way to the Rockaways.
“It all started after the storm, when I asked friends and family for donations,” Campbell said. “My good friend Donna Maier, another middle school teacher, responded, placing backpacks in her classroom for her students to fill. Principal Ira Gurkin encouraged us… and ‘Kids Helping Kids’ came to life.”
Other teachers joined the effort, not only putting backpacks in their classrooms and facilitating the collection of items from their students, but making up their own backpacks to donate.
“I had no idea how successful this would be,” Campbell said. “It just took off.” Friends from as far away as California contributed as did students at Mahopac High School. As the word got around, people were eager to help.
Mahopac High School Principal Dr. Adam Pease said the middle school deserves a lot of credit. “We sure are proud of our soon-to-be-students across the field and their teachers for their selfless acts of kindness and generosity.”
On November 17, Campbell and her family and friends loaded a minivan and sports utility vehicle with the 140 backpacks they’d filled and drove to the Belle Harbor Yacht Club in the Rockaways, where Rockaway WISH (Women Inspired to Support and Help) was distributing food and supplies to those in need. The area still had no power, Campbell said, more than two weeks after the storm.
For anyone who still wants to help, Campbell said WISH is accepting monetary donations through its website: https://www.wepay.com/
This is a YouTube video of the Campbell family and Mahopac Middle School Story.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
