Knox County’s Carter Elementary School Safety Patrol students volunteer to load collected donations into the Goodwill truck at the Straight from the Heart Sack Pack Kickoff. Above, they pose with Bob Kesling and Goodwill's Michelle Bush.
On Friday, May 8, Carter Elementary students helped to officially kick off the 28th Annual Straight from the Heart Sack Pack Material Drive to benefit Goodwill Industries-Knoxville. Sack Pack donation drives are taking place May 11th through 15th in Knox County, Anderson County, Hamblen County, Oak Ridge City and Clinton City elementary and middle schools. Students are encouraged to bring donations of gently used clothing, toys and other household goods to their schools to benefit Goodwill Industries-Knoxville.
Check out the news clip by WBIR Channel 10:
In exchange for their bag of donations, participating Knox and Anderson county students will be rewarded with a McDonald’s ‘Be Our Guest’ coupon and a free admission coupon to the American Museum of Science and Energy. Hamblen County students will receive a McDonald’s coupon and the opportunity to win tickets to Dollywood or win an ice cream party for their class.
Last year, students brought in nearly 40,000 pounds of donations for Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc. during the Sack Pack donation drives. Donations made to Goodwill are sold in Goodwill’s 30 regional retail stores; proceeds allow Goodwill Industries-Knoxville to provide vocational services and employment opportunities to people with barriers to employment across their 15 county service area across East Tennessee.
Sack Pack sponsors include Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc., WBIR-Channel 10, the American Museum of Science and Energy, McDonald’s, Keep Anderson County Beautiful, Keep Hamblen-Morristown Beautiful, and Dollywood.