Brooksville Elementary School Receives Donation

It’s always nice when a round of spring cleaning results in something magical. This was definitely the case last week when the folks at Brooksville Main Street made a massive art supply donation to Brooksville Elementary School: a plethora of unopened, top-quality art tools discovered in BMS closets.
“We cleaned out a closet and found countless art supplies that we had bought for special activities and programs here,” explained BMS Executive Director Dawn Triconi. “We always told ourselves that we would find some use for all of those supplies.”

Soon, and through a collaborative effort with Brooksville Main Street’s Amanda Cunningham-Rud, BMS found a new home—or, more specifically, school—for these supplies.

“We filled 10-15 boxes and totes with art supplies, including paints, markers, papers, wooden discs, crayons, and craft items—so many good supplies. At Amanda’s suggestion, we sent them all to Brooksville Elementary School.”

Soon, BMS volunteers set to work, organizing and transporting these supplies to their beneficiary school. Amanda and the volunteers set the donations out at the school, telling art teachers and students that they had a surprise for them.

Aside from the supplies themselves, there was something very special about this donation effort. “Many of these volunteers were teens themselves,” said Triconi. “So this was a matter of kids helping kids.”
“We think it’s so important to work with and empower kids at Brooksville Main Street,” she added. “To encourage their creativity, giving them the tools they need to succeed.”

Brooksville Elementary School second-grade art teachers Theresa Brown and Rachel Helm were thrilled by this surprise donation. “Amanda Cunningham-Rud brought all these arts and craft supplies in from BMS, and myself and Rachel Helm snagged a ton of them,” said Brown. “There were supplies like cotton balls, markers, foam letters, circular wood pieces (all different sizes), colored napkins and the pretty small decorative mesh bags (all different colors).”

The supplies also served as divine inspiration for these gifted arts educators. “We saw all these things and immediately thought of activities for math with the circular word pieces and for reading as well to keep the kids engaged at centers,” said Brown. “This is money we don’t have to spend from our own pockets. Teachers spend so much money out of their pockets each year, so this helps.”

In Brown’s view, the receipt of these vital learning tools is the greatest of gifts. “This is like Christmas,” Brown said.