Elementary and Middle School Students Donate Over 16 Tons of Material to Goodwill

Students at Carter Elementary helped kick off the Knox County Straight from the Heart Sack Pack donation drive.

Students at Carter Elementary helped kick off the Knox County Straight from the Heart Sack Pack donation drive.

Elementary and middle school students across Anderson, Knox and Hamblen County, including Clinton City Schools and Oak Ridge City Schools, recently participated in the Annual Goodwill Sack Pack material drives. Over 1,200 students from all three counties brought in an approximate total of 33,323 pounds of donations for Goodwill Industries-Knoxville.

Between May 4 and May 15, students were encouraged to bring donations of gently used clothing, toys and other household goods to school to benefit Goodwill Industries. In exchange for their donations, students were rewarded with free snacks from McDonald’s, free passes to the American Museum of Science and Energy and/or the opportunity to win two free passes to Dollywood. One Hamblen County classroom won an ice cream party for having the most participation in the county.

Those donations will make their way into Goodwill’s 30 retail stores; proceeds from the sale of those donations will allow Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc. to provide vocational services and employment opportunities to people with barriers to employment across their 15 county service area.

Sponsors of the Sack Packs include Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc., WBIR-TV, Keep Morristown-Hamblen Beautiful, Keep Anderson County Beautiful, the American Museum of Science and Energy, McDonald’s, Dollywood and all participating school systems.

Goodwill Industries-Knoxville, Inc. would like to thank all of the participating schools and students for their donations and for helping provide job opportunities in East Tennessee.