Each year, the Burley Rotary Club brings local businesses, community members, and Rotarians together for its largest community service project: providing backpacks and school supplies to children throughout the Cassia County School District.
The project addresses a significant need close to home. More than half of the district’s elementary students have been classified as students from low-income families. For many local households, the added expense of preparing children for a new school year can create a real financial strain. As a result, some students arrive at school without the basic supplies they need to participate fully in the classroom.
The Burley Rotary Club believes every child deserves to begin the school year feeling prepared, confident, and ready to learn. That is why Rotarians work directly with leaders from the school district to identify the supplies that are most needed. Club members then purchase, organize, and deliver backpacks and classroom supplies to local elementary schools. School staff distribute the items based on the needs they see throughout the year.
Supplies have included backpacks, paper, pencils, crayons, markers, notebooks, calculators, headphones, dry-erase markers, and other classroom essentials. These may seem like simple items, but they help students participate alongside their classmates while maintaining their dignity and confidence in the learning environment.
The success of this project depends heavily on the generosity of local businesses and organizations. Past supporters have included Intermountain Health Cassia Regional Hospital, D.L. Evans Bank, First Federal, Kim Hansen Chevrolet, Idaho Central Credit Union, Dot Foods, Butte Irrigation, Walmart Burley, Heartland Ag, and Rotary District 5400 through grant funding. The Burley Lions Club has also supported the effort by giving Rotarians an opportunity to raise money through volunteer service at the Spudman Triathlon.
Since the project began in 2018, the Burley Rotary Club has purchased and distributed more than $32,000 in backpacks and school supplies. Hundreds of fully stocked backpacks have been provided to local elementary schools, along with additional supplies for classrooms and students who experience needs during the school year.
The Burley Rotary Club is involved in many worthwhile activities throughout the community, but this annual effort remains the club’s signature service project. It reflects what Rotary is all about: recognizing a need, bringing people together, and turning local generosity into meaningful action.
The students in our classrooms today will become the leaders, workers, volunteers, and problem-solvers of tomorrow. By helping ensure they have the tools they need now, our community is making an investment that will continue to make a difference for years to come.
