Over 300 backpacks and 350 books donated to local students by Olean General Hospital and Bradford Medical Park Staff

Over 300 backpacks and 350 books donated to local students by Olean General Hospital and Bradford Medical Park Staff

BRADFORD, PA/OLEAN, NY - For the 16th year, employees of Bradford Medical Park (BMP) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, packed over 300 backpacks with a variety of school supplies which will benefit area elementary students for this school year.

Celebrating its sixteenth year, the program will provide more than 300 backpacks filled with essential school supplies distributed among local students at Smethport Elementary in Pennsylvania; East View and Washington West schools in Olean; and Cuba-Rushford, Friendship, Hinsdale and Salamanca schools in New York. In addition, more than 350 children's books will be donated to George G. Blaisdell Elementary School in Bradford.

Students receiving the backpacks will find supplies such as pencils, erasers, scissors, paper, crayons, rulers, glue sticks and folders to help them start the school year prepared for success. The backpacks, supplies and books were donated by employees.

"The backpack project is something that we're really excited to support every year," said Stacey Green, project coordinator, OGH. "It's a great way for our staff in Bradford and Olean to come together as a team and help kids in our communities start the school year with the supplies and confidence the need to be successful. This outreach program highlights how deeply the teams throughout both communities care about our neighbors, family and friends that we serve."

A program that started in 2010, the pack a backpack program is part of the hospitals' community connections initiative, a program where employees volunteer their time to educate the community on a variety of health and wellness issues to promote healthier lifestyles and address community health, safety and social needs in the hospitals' service areas.