Canonsburg students get supply-filled backpacks
In the front row, from left, Canonsburg Middle School student council members Grant Zeszutek, Maura O’Neill, Estee Carroll, Bailey Paris and Bella Broglia pose with the backpacks they filled. In the back row, from left, are social studies teacher and council sponsor Adam Manion, Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome, Jeffreys Drug Store owner Gerald O’Hare and McDonald’s operations manager Scott Kausky.
From left, Bella Broglia (back to camera), Maura O’Neill, Grant Zeszutek, Estee Carroll and Bailey Paris stuff backpacks with school supplies to give to fellow students Thursday.
The diligence of a Canonsburg Middle School student made sure there were 125 backpacks stuffed with school supplies for her fellow students to bring home Thursday.
“Cassidy Morton, this is her brainchild,” said social studies teacher and student council sponsor Adam Manion.
“She approached me in the fall when we were doing fundraising for breast cancer awareness in October. She came back to me in April, and I’ll be honest, I kind of forgot about it. So it’s because she was passionate about it, that she kept on it, and we started it all with a supplies drive this past May,” Manion said.
Morton was on vacation with her family Thursday, but other eighth- and ninth-grade student council members were on hand to stuff the backpacks provided by McDonald’s and Jeffreys Drug Store with pencils, binders, glue and even toothbrushes.
“The feedback we got from other parents we did this with in Ohio was, yes, a lot had a legitimate need, but a lot also said this was a time-saving item for them. They got backpacks and stuff ready to go,” said drug store owner Gerald O’ Hare.
“We sponsored a program set up like this in Peters Township last year, so we’ll be ready to go again next year,” said McDonald’s operations manager Scott Kausky.
And that effort will start sooner rather than later this time.
“We’re going to start the supplies drive at the end of August so that students and parents have access to them while they’re on sale,” Manion said.
The first day of school is Aug. 24, when a lot of kids who picked up the bags from McDonald’s Thursday will be reminded of Morton’s work to get the backpacks in their hands.
“She ran for an officer position on this issue, but she lost,” said council member Grant Zeszutek, “and even though she didn’t win officership, we wanted to honor her idea and see it through.”