Volunteers and donors ignore heat, smoke and COVID-19 to give to Little Red Schoolhouse

Radio Day, the Little Red Schoolhouse’s annual fundraiser for school supplies, looked different this year, but it still managed to raise tens of thousands of dollars in one day.

In the parking lot of Mixx 96.1 radio station in downtown Olympia on Friday, people dropped off barrels full of school supplies as well as cash donations that the Little Red Schoolhouse will provide to children and families in need so they can start the year with the necessary items.

Toni Holm, one of the owners of the radio station, said she remembers seeing kids come in to pick up supplies who now help out at the event as adult volunteers. “Seeing kids come in and pick out a back pack... their faces just light up they get so excited.”

Volunteers working at the radio station helped donors bring in supplies. Debbie Haddock, the co-chair of the Little Red Schoolhouse and a former Komachin Middle School teacher, has been working the event for 16 years, the past two of which have been a little different.

Because of COVID-19, the radio station set up a socially distanced donation area. Volunteers set up a drop box on the corner of State Avenue where donors could insert cash and checks, and also set up tables in the parking lot where people could drop supplies. People also could call in to the radio station to make donations over the phone. Local businesses also did promotional interviews.

Patty Russman, who owns True Simplicity boutique in Tumwater, got her customers to donate supplies by giving them $5 in store credit when they brought school supplies to her shop.

“There are so many families and teachers that help support our business, so we wanted to give back and we’re really excited to give this,” she said before signing a check for $2,000 to the Little Red Schoolhouse.

Russman said a customer encouraged her to donate to the Little Red Schoolhouse because co-chair Haddock was a former teacher. “I called Debbie that day and we got it all set up,” she said.

Other donors matched contributions. Obee Credit Union gave $3,000 and brought the fundraisers total to $15,000 by noon. The Althauser, Rayan, Abbarno law firm and Capital Heating & Cooling also matched a combined $7,000 in donations.

By the end of the day, the station and Little Red Schoolhouse had raised over $25,000.

This year like last year, the distribution of the supplies will be handled differently because of COVID-19.

Before COVID, the Little Red Schoolhouse invited families to their Distribution Day and allowed kids to pick out their own supplies for the upcoming school year. This year, it will distribute supplies to Thurston County school districts for them to distribute to students.

Haddock said she can’t wait for the event to get back to the way it was. “Hopefully next year we’ll get to see the families come through the doors and pick up supplies,” she said.

Here’s how some of the school districts plan to distribute Little Red Schoolhouse supplies:

▪ North Thurston Public Schools plans to distribute supplies at Chinook Middle School from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Aug. 26. Families will be able to drive through the site for pickup.

“We are always so grateful for the commitment and service Little Red Schoolhouse Project volunteers provide to our students so they can get a positive start to the school year,” said Courtney Schrieve, spokesperson for North Thurston Public Schools. “While it may look a little different this year in terms of a drive-thru option, the distribution of free school supplies and other items is still going to happen, thanks to hundreds of volunteers and our compassionate community.”

▪ Olympia School District will work with school leadership to figure out the best way to distribute supplies as students return to in-person school this fall, said Susan Gifford, the executive director of communications and community relations for OSD.

▪ Tumwater School District will add the supplies the Little Red Schoolhouse provides to supplies it collects during its “Stuff the Bus” event, which happened Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Safeway on Trosper Road. The supplies will be stuffed into backpacks that will be delivered to each school based on student need. According to Becky Powell, the Tumwater district’s homeless coordinator, said they will give away about 630 backpacks this year.

▪ Andrew Kollar, the community relations coordinator for Yelm Community Schools, said the district is reaching out to families who’ve needed assistance in the past to see if they need supplies for the upcoming year. “When those families note that they need help getting school supplies, we will have supplies ready for those students when they get to school.” he said. He said the remaining supplies will be distributed to students as needs are identified.

▪ Rochester School District will not receive supplies directly. Instead, the Rochester Organization Of Families (ROOF) Center will distribute supplies to students and families from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. Aug. 25 at their community center by the Rochester library. Parents who bring their children will need to show ID, proof of their child’s enrollment in a Rochester school and a current piece of mail to prove they live in the Rochester area.

▪ Tenino School District is not participating in this year’s Little Red Schoolhouse drive, according Superintendent Clint Endicott. He wrote in an email to The Olympian that the district is instead “using available federal relief funds [Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief] to purchase basic supplies for our students as they begin the new school year.” He said teachers will distribute supplies to students on the first day of school.

This story was originally published August 14, 2021 at 10:55 AM.