Heritage Elementary School and École Notre-Dame elementary school in Huntingdon were the recipients of a generous donation of school supplies as part of an outreach program by the Costco warehouse in Candiac on August 28.
Each school received 60 new school bags to be distributed among students, along with 30 new lunchboxes split between the two schools. Over $200 in classroom supplies were also donated to each school.
“We brought items that oftentimes the teachers are purchasing out of their pockets,” said Patrick Di Pietro, the marketing manager for the Candiac Costco. The donation program has been in place since the 1990s, and all the Costco warehouses participate; however, this was the first time the Candiac store had ventured this far from its base.
Costco employee Cynthia Davignon, who is from Huntingdon, was influential in bringing forth the local schools as candidates for the program after she and Di Pietro worked at a booth promoting the warehouse during this year’s Huntingdon Fair.
“We are hearing a lot in the media about what people are facing right now,” said John Ryan, the chair of the Council of Commissioners of the New Frontiers School Board (NFSB), of the difficult economic situation facing many families as their children return to classes this year. “It is creating a lot of stress and worry for families, and that reflects on the students,” he noted while thanking Di Pietro for the gesture.
“For the parents it is one less thing they will need to worry about,” says James Furey, the principal at Heritage Elementary. “It’s small, but it’s so huge,” he said of the new schoolbags and lunchboxes that were distributed to students the following day during orientation activities.
“It’s a really nice random act of kindness that is going to make a difference,” he added, noting there were already plans in place for students to practice their writing skills sending thank-you letters to the Candiac Costco.
