By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The Bucyrus Backpack Program received a little boost for the beginning of the year.
North Central Ohio Media Group, comprised of WQEL, WBCO, and Crawford County Now, donated $300 to the local school program Wednesday, all proceeds from the Second Annual Rubber Ducky Derby held in August.
“This is wonderful,” said Virginia Hammontree, treasurer of the Bucyrus Backpack Program. “Every penny that we get goes to buying food. We bought a few supplies the first year, we buy very little now. We get bags donated, food donated occasionally, but most of our food we buy, so every penny that we get goes to buying food.”
A host of volunteers were filling 86 bags for schoolchildren on Wednesday. The $300 represented 60 kids being fed.
The Bucyrus Backpack Program offers meals during the school year. This week marked the beginning of the meals for this school year, Hammontree explained, as they awaited permission slips from parents before they could begin. She added that if food is left over for the last week of school, they will pack right up until the last minute.
The donation was made possible with help from local businesses and the corporate sponsors for the Ducky Derby: True Value and Ohio Mutual Insurance Group.
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