Pleasant weather benefits 'Stuff the School Bus'

Chloe Mitchell, daughter of Sharon Mitchell, hands off some school supplies to Brian Floyd of Cub Scout Troop 390 at Saturday's "Stuff the School Bus" event at Shelbyville's Wal-Mart Supercenter. [Order this photo]

Saturday's perfect weather may have contributed to the success of the "Stuff the School Bus" day at Wal-Mart.

The welcome relief from the recent blazing heat brought many shoppers out for the weekend and that probably meant more donations to help students in the county get ready for school, which begins in just a few short weeks.

All through the morning, shoppers took a minute to drop off items they had just bought inside the store - a notebook, a backpack, a box of pens and a variety of other school supplies recommended by the Bedford County School System.

The event was put on by the United Way of Bedford County in a partnership with Wal-Mart and the county school system. The idea is to make sure needy children in the county have school supplies this school year.

Tonya Davis, one of the organizers, said Saturday that the drive was "getting a little bit of everything" this year.

"Donations have been good," she said, pointing out the jug full of cash. "People have been generous."

Davis also praised members of the scouts, saying "they are doing an awesome job," telling customers to help stuff "the big, giant yellow bus," as they put it.

Youth groups participated in the school supplies campaign included Cub Scout Pack 390, Boy Scout Troop 390, the 4-H Honor Club and Cascade Interact Club.

Drop off points were also available Saturday at area Dollar General stores, Davis said.

Connie Boutwell, who chairs the Stuff the Bus campaign and also works in the Bedford County School System, explained that Bedford County has an overall poverty rate of 53 percent in the school system serving 8,026 students.

The school system has 4,272 students on the Free and Reduced Lunch Program and system wide (K-12), poverty rates range from 32 - 76 percent.