The effort to collect school supplies for needy children in Geary USD 475 and St. Xavier schools began on Saturday. Members of the public had an opportunity to purchase supplies at Dillons on West 6th Street and at Walmart on East Chestnut Street. They could then turn them over to the United Way, who along with volunteers, will oversee their distribution to the schools in August.

Nicole Mahder, Executive Director of United Way of Junction City / Geary County, collected donations at Walmart and placed them on a school bus donated for the event by JC Transportation. “They have gone very well. The heat definitely kicked us a little bit but Geary County still showed up. We have stuffed that bus.”

Mahder added that some of the donations included two big boxes of composition notebooks, full boxes of three-ring binders, and numerous other boxes of supplies.

The collections will continue at Walmart on East Chestnut and Dillons on Saturday’s July 20th and 27th. The overall collection of supplies will continue until August 2nd. You can drop off supplies at the United Way office at 139 Eighth Street and at other select business locations.