Tampa (July 15, 2005) – Backpacks filled with cartons of crayons, packets of paper, and a heavy dose of love will be distributed to hundreds of deserving kids in two Tampa elementary schools.
Volunteers from SchoolTime, a community outreach program started last year by DriveTime, the largest integrated used car sales and finance company in the country, will deliver 130 total backpacks to Pinellas Park Elementary on Monday, August 1 at 12:45PM and Shaw Elementary on Tuesday, August 2 at 10AM.
Melissa Bowen-Ziegler, a Regional Team Manager at DriveTime and a SchoolTime volunteer, says the bags are filled with pencils, paper, crayons, and many other basic school supplies, all donated by DriveTime employees. "All of our Tampa stores, including our inspection center, participated in a school supplies drive in June," Mrs. Bowen-Ziegler says. "We're really excited to announce that DriveTime employees in Tampa donated more than 7,000 school supply items to benefit the students at Pinellas Park and Shaw!"
The backpacks and any remaining school supplies will be divided equally between each school. Once school starts, principals from Pinellas Park and Shaw will distribute the packs to the students who need them most.
SchoolTime began in 2004 as a way for DriveTime employees to become more involved in their communities. SchoolTime volunteers enter into long-term partnerships with at least one school in their area and commit to donating time and resources to the school throughout the year.