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<p>Writing checks payable to your school district is usually onerous, not uplifting.</p><p>But now through Sept. 27, you can give money that will buy backpacks full of school supplies for children affected by the monster hurricanes Harvey and Irma.</p><p>&#8220;At the end of the day, everybody wanted to do something,&#8221; Luzerne Intermediate Unit Executive Director Tony Grieco said of the effort. &#8220;We weren&#8217;t sure what exactly to do.&#8221;</p><p>Officials from districts within the LIU &#8212; a state agency that provides educational services to schools in Luzerne and Wyoming counties &#8212; hit upon the idea of the supply-laden backpacks, provided and distributed by a group called &#8220;Kits for Kidz.&#8221; That way, the districts have to accept cash donations only.</p><p>Each backpack is filled with grade-specific supplies. A $20 donation pays for one filled pack. Officials at the LIU involved with national education programs have been using contacts to learn which schools were hit hardest.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re also working through a network called principal to principal,&#8221; Grieco said. That group has set up an Internet exchange through Google Docs that allows schools to post what they need.</p><p>It made sense, Grieco said, for schools here to raise money for schoolchildren in Texas impacted by Harvey and in Florida and Southeastern states hit by Irma.</p><p>Each district is running its own effort to raise money, Grieco said. Ideas discussed included a coloring contest for kids to raise awareness, special days for the students like dress down day, and bucket drives at football games.</p><p>When the drive is over, each district will write a single check to a fund the LIU has with The Luzerne Foundation, an agency that serves as an umbrella for numerous area non-profit efforts. A single check for all participating districts will then go to Kits for Kidz, Grieco said.</p><p>Any donation is welcome, big or small. Grieco said larger organizations have been contacted, including the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.</p><p>Participating school districts include Crestwood, Dallas, Greater Nanticoke Area, Hanover Area, Hazleton Area, Lake-Lehman, Northwest Area, Pittston Area, Tunkhannock Area, Wyoming Area, Wyoming Valley West and Wilkes-Barre Area, as well as the LIU, West Side Career and Technical Center, and Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center.</p><p>To donate through the LIU, make checks payable to the Luzerne Intermediate Unit Foundation and place in an envelope marked &#8220;Hurricane Fundraiser. &#8221; Checks are being collected by Mary Joe Fulton at the LIU office, 358 Tioga Ave., Kingston, though Sept. 27.</p><p>Grieco noted donations can also be made online at <a href="http://luzfdn.org/cause-posts/we-got-your-back/" target="_blank">http://luzfdn.org/cause-posts/we-got-your-back/</a></p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Goal is to stuff as many backpacks as possible</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Local schools partner to raise money for students impacted by hurricanes