Verna Travell, left, a resident of Atria Covell Gardens, and Dan Gormley, second from left, the retirement community's Engaged Life director, present backpacks stuffed with school supplies for Davis students to Pam Mari, director of student services for the Davis Joint Unified School District, and Superintendent James Hammond.

Published in the Davis Enterprise August 26, 2009. Photographer: Sue Cockrell/Enterprise Photo

By Jeff Hudson
Enterprise staff writer

Two groups have donated a total of 150 backpacks filled with school supplies for students starting classes today in the Davis public schools.

A group of residents at the Atria Covell Gardens retirement community, working with family members and community members through Covell Gardens' Engaged Life program, raised funds and donated 50 backpacks with supplies. They will be distributed to selected students at five local elementary schools and Emerson and Holmes junior high schools.

Backpacks going to younger students will include crayons, markers and related items, while the larger backpacks going to older students will have more paper, rulers, pencils, pens, a binder and a water bottle.

The Covell Gardens residents also donated some backpacks to students in the Winters school district.

Another batch of backpacks was donated to students participating in the Davis Bridge Program, which aims to close the achievement gap through after-school sessions. The young students are matched with tutors who are students from UC Davis to work on homework and academic skills.

Janet Boulware, executive director of Davis Bridge, said, "Davis City Councilman Lamar Heystek connected us with an organization last week called the Yolo County Backpacks for Kids, which works out of the office of Matt Rexroad," a Yolo County supervisor from Woodland.

"Last week, we picked up over 100 backpacks and supplies benefiting Davis Bridge students. I know that Supervisors Helen Thomson and Jim Provenza also helped with this project," Boulware added. "In addition to these people, the Marine Corps League under the direction of George Carrere also participated in gathering supplies."

Boulware said, "The backpacks and supplies will benefit Davis Bridge students who attend Montgomery Elementary, Korematsu Elementary, Patwin Elementary and Harper Junior High" -- the campuses where Davis Bridge is active.

"The backpacks, with supplies, were distributed on Monday and will continue to be given to Bridge families this year," Boulware said. "Davis Bridge served over 180 children a day between these four school sites last year, and we hope to do the same this year, if funding permits."

Like many nonprofit groups, the foundation is working hard to raise enough money to continue its program at the same level as last year, Boulware said.

-- Reach Jeff Hudson at jhudson@davisenterprise.net or (530) 747-8055. Comment on this story at www.davisenterprise.com