40 • August 2011 • Springfield Business Journal
philanthropy •
It’s a hand up, not a hand out.
Mypacks and sackpacs for back to school
S
Every homeowner helps build their home and makes mortgage, insurance and property tax payments.
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pringfield native and St. Louis businesswoman Marlene Fitch-DeNoyer has made her online school-supply company available to parents of Springfield School District 186 students just in time for the 2011-2012 school year. Fitch-DeNoyer established American Student Supply in 2010. The company sells MyPacks, which are a supply of school/grade-specific, name-brand, teacher-required materials bundled together in a child-safe, nylon drawstring bag with free home delivery. With every MyPack purchase, parents support the MyPack Gives Back Mission of providing much-needed school supplies to underprivileged and homeless, school-aged children. “I wanted to create an avenue to ‘give back’ to the community in which I was raised,” said Fitch-DeNoyer, a 1983 graduate of Sacred Heart Academy. “During a recent visit here, I was telling a friend of mine, who is lifelong Springfield resident, about my company and he shared with me that he was one of those students who, because of family financial hardship, went to school every year without the required supplies. Hearing his story made me realize how important it was to bring our services to Springfield.” To purchase a MyPack, parents may log onto AmericanStudentSupply.com, click “Shop MyPack School Supplies” and choose their child’s school district, school and then grade level. Once they’ve reached this point, they add the selected MyPack, which contains all of the school supplies needed for that child, to their online cart, fill out their shipping and billing information, and they are finished shopping. The 2011 Springfield Area Peacekeeper’s Ride was held on July 17. The daylong motorcycle ride included a concert by Amanda Overmyer, an American Idol finalist. The Springfield Area Peacekeeper’s Ride raises funds for the Illinois Law Enforcement Education Fund and the Illinois Military Family Relief Fund. For more information visit springfieldareapeacekeepers.com. The Simon Youth Scholarships program sponsored by Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that champions education opportunities for students of all backgrounds, granted an Auburn High School student a scholarship award to benefit the post-secondary education of this student. The awards were given in partnerships with White Oaks Mall. The
Giving Back Jean Jones recipient is Ashley R. Curtis, a graduate of Auburn High School. Curtis plans to study cosmetology at Undergraduate School of Cosmetology in Springfield, Ill. “The administration and staff at White Oaks Mall are proud to participate in the scholarships program with Simon Youth Foundation, because the awards ignite hope in students for a successful academic future by removing some of the financial obstacles that may have prevented their continued learning,” said Christine Lahmann, director of marketing and business development. Lincoln Memorial Garden is hosting the second annual birdhouse building contest. The contest is open to anyone, and contestants may enter more than one move-in-ready design. Each will be judged for construction quality, originality, and functionality. Entries will be accepted beginning Wednesday, September 14, and must be delivered to the Garden’s Nature Center no later than 4 p.m., Thursday, October 6. There is a $5 nonrefundable fee for each entry, but the fee provides admission to the Garden’s Indian Summer Festival, October 8-9. Winners will be announced at the end of the two-day food, music, and crafts festival. All entries will be on display throughout the weekend. The contest and the prizes were made possible by a generous Garden supporter. For a complete set of contest rules, go to lincolnmemorialgarden.org. The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln announced scholarship awards totaling $38,700 to 34 area students in 2011. This is the seventh year of the scholarship program at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln. The awards this year bring the cumulative scholarship distributions to over a quarter of a million dollars. The Community Foundation had the help of 67 volunteers, who served on 17 scholarship selection committees, to review the 138 applications that were submitted this year. Students who are interested in applying for an award should visit the foundation’s website, CFLL.org, for a list of scholarships and their criteria. Application instructions are posted to the webContinued on Next Page