School supplies drive ready to roll

So children in Independence Township start the 2005 school year with the proper supplies, area volunteers are launching Pitch-In! for Kids.
The group is seeking community support to fill more than 100 backpacks by mid-August, shortly before the beginning of the 2005 school year.
‘We are hoping the service clubs and area retailers will get behind the campaign and insure its success,? said committee member Harry Knitter in a released statement. ‘The objectives are anything but formidable, and the groups should be able to reach their individual objectives with minimal effort.?
The committee behind Pitch-In! for Kids is placing collection boxes in local banks, stores, restaurants and the township library. Organizers are requesting that area residents donate needed items like calculators, notebooks, dictionaries and other school supplies.
According to Kelly Hyer, recreation programmer for Independence Parks and Recreation and chairperson of the vounteer committee for Pitch-In!, each location will include both a box for backpack donations and a coin canister for cash contributions.
The sponsoring committee invites residents to write checks to an account to be announce at a later date.
The committee will solicit contributions of supplies from community sources. Cash contributions will purchase items not provided in the box collection campaign.