Schmidtke seeks school supplies

By Jim Cook

Published: July 9, 2008

Supply drop boxes
Alabama Elite Gymnastics Academy, 210 Graceland Drive, Dothan. Metro Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 100 Metro Drive, Dothan. CB&T Bank, 3680 W. Main St., Dothan. Carpenter, Wiggins, Jordan, Thomas & Scarborough, 2389 W. Main St., Dothan. The Blue Plate Restaurant, 3850 W. Main St., Dothan. Synergy, 205 Graceland Dr., Suite 8, Dothan. Dr. Elizabeth White’s office, 102 Metro Drive, Dothan. CB&T Bank, 901 N. Boll Weevil Circle, Enterprise.
For more information, call 334-475-0616

Dr. Craig Schmidtke has launched a new campaign.
Local officeholders, don’t panic. Schmidtke doesn’t want your job this time, he just wants a few pencils and protractors.

Instead of seeking votes, the former candidate for the Alabama District 2 U.S. House of Representatives is now trying to convince Wiregrass residents to donate school supplies for local students and teachers.

The Wiregrass School Supply campaign began on July 1 and will continue collecting supplies until school starts in August.

Schmidtke said he started the drive as a memorial to his late father, Dennis Schmidtke, a long-time educator and because of the many stories he heard from educators about how they often had to purchase school supplies for low-income students.

“These are some people who are overworked and underpaid, and asking them to dip into their own pockets doesn’t seem fair,” he said.

Individuals can donate by purchasing a few extra supplies and dropping them off at collection points around town. Businesses can help by placing a collection box at their business or by purchasing some supplies and donating them.

Vicki Ponn, project coordinator, said she’s gotten several businesses to contribute to the effort and hopes that the drive will collect enough supplies to help schools in the Dothan, Houston County and Enterprise areas and possibly some other local systems.

“We’re really reaching out to the public on this,” she said.
Supplies donated to the drive will be parceled out on a as-needed basis, while supplies last. To request supplies, principals and teachers should contact (334) 475-0616.