Auburn School District No. 408
915 4th Street Northeast, Auburn, WA  98002

09/03/04

NEWS RELEASE
Costco Wholesale, Community Donations
Bring 500 Backpacks to Auburn Students

A combination of donations from Costco Wholesale Corp., the Auburn Costco Facility, and the community has resulted in 500 backpacks filled with supplies for Auburn students in need. Costco Wholesale Corp. donated $500 as well as free backpacks, while the four service divisions at the Costco Auburn Facility contributed an additional $500 towards school supplies.

Janai Speer, an Auburn Riverside High School (ARHS) senior wanting to help her fellow students, wrote letters to local businesses. Her extraordinary efforts made it possible to purchase another $750 in needed supplies. In talking about her service project, Janai said, "I love the Auburn School District. My experiences throughout school so far have been so positive and I know it's easier to achieve when a student doesn't have to worry about having enough supplies for the week."

The program to secure back to school supplies is still continuing. Community members may drop off supplies at two Auburn State Farm offices. The locations are the William Hubert Insurance Agency at 4329 A Street Southeast Suite E and the Nadine Toles Insurance Agency at 794 Auburn Way North.

All 19 schools in the Auburn District will receive a portion of the backpacks. This is the first time the program has been extended to high school students. School staff will distribute the backpacks to students whose families are unable to afford basic back to school needs. Jolaine Aho, a member of the Communities In Schools of Auburn Board of Directors, is helping to coordinate the effort.  "This is a classic example of numerous community partners coming together to support the children in our schools," said Ms. Aho.

For more information, contact Arlene Pierini, Executive Director, Communities In Schools of Auburn at (253) 833-0831 or cisauburn@comcast.net.

Arlene Pierini
Executive Director
Communities In Schools of Auburn
(253) 833-0831