11 Cares Pack the Bus event raises more than $25,000 to support local classrooms

Education Partnership told Channel 11 News that without events like the Pack the Bus Drive, they would be unable to supply classrooms with the resources they need.

“This year’s donation drive was able to bring in 13 pallets and $25,000 worth of support,” said Josh Whiteside, the CEO of Education Partnership.

In July, WPXI joined forces with their local community partners and took an empty school bus and packed it with supplies and in-kind donations. The station then gifted those resources to the education partnership, a local non-profit, that gives all that stuff away free of charge to schools and educators in need.

“This organization thrives off of gifting kind support,” he explained.

Last year, the Education Partnership gave away $13 million worth of supplies and $11 million of that amount was donated through events like Pack the Bus, one of the largest annual drives.

“I think the biggest miseducation out there is that schools can provide everything, and really they cannot,” said Whiteside.

“I have been coming here for probably fifteen years, I believe or so,” said Mike Kinkead, an educator with St. Stephens Lutheran Church.

Kinkead has been an educator for 37 years and said his school relies on the resources and supplies that the education partnership provides.

“It makes a difference for our funding it helps us so we can buy other things to keep our education system going and our class going,” said Kinkead.

Education Partnership encourages the community to get involved and if you are interested in hosting a drive of your own, click here .

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