More than 1,500 Yonkers public school students received free backpacks loaded with back to school supplies through the annual Yonkers Mayor”™s Back to School Drive.
Donations of goods, services and funds to renew the program for its 11th year came from Yonkers residents and city employees along with local corporate and nonprofit sponsors including: Heavenly Productions Foundation; Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts; PCNY Auto Body; Garden of Eden; Castle Royale; Fuelco; Rock & Rod”™s Collector Car Club; Ridge Hill; and Elite Investigations.
Mayor Mike Spano joined with Yonkers School Superintendent Edwin Quezada, Board of Education Trustee Vice President Rosalba Corrado Del Vecchio, Enrico Fermi School Principal Mark Ametrano, members of the Yonkers City Council and event sponsors at the Enrico Fermi School to distribute more than 800 of he backpacks to that school”™s students.
“I am deeply grateful for our city”™s ongoing support,” Spano said.
Corrado Del Vecchio explained, “At every monthly meeting of the Board (of Education), President Rev. Steve Lopez and the Trustees acknowledge the generosity of individuals and businesses for donations of goods, services and monetary gifts. These donors, stakeholders from across our community, understand and act on their conviction to enhance opportunities for our students.”
According to the National Retail Federation, parents in the U.S. typically now spend $661 per child on back to school supplies, 27% more than before the pandemic. That amount of money can strain the budget of many Yonkers families.
