Back to school is an exciting time, but for some families, the back-to-school season means difficult times. First Student Location #34053 in Pincher Creek, Alberta recognizes this struggle and hosted its annual Stuff-A-Bus event at the local Chamber of Commerce’s Trade Show. The location collected school supplies to benefit local families.
The location partners with the Pincher Creek Lions Club and Pincher Office Products to host the event. In coming weeks, representatives of the groups will meet with school administrators to determine where cash donations received during the event should be distributed. All monetary donations must be used for academic purposes. Over the past three years, more than $2,000 has been donated in addition to school supplies.
“Being a small location makes it easy to have an interest in our students, as they can be family and close friends,” said Location Manager Sharon Roberts. “We don’t do this for the recognition, rather because we care about our community.”
It is estimated that the average Canadian parent spends $1,386 CAD on their child’s education. Those costs cover tuition fees, textbooks and school supplies.
But parents know there are additional expenses related to back-to-school, such as new clothes. For some children, September means a new wardrobe and for others, it means replacing older clothes that no longer fit or have been worn out throughout the summer months. Statistics estimate that $803.4 million was spent on girls’ clothing and accessories and $762.4 million was spent on the boys in 2013. 