ABILENE – United Way chairman Dr. Cathy Ashby and representatives from United Supermarkets and Market Street in Abilene were at Bonham Elementary School late Friday morning to present the school with donated school supplies and money, just in time for the 2019-20 school year.

Thanks to the generosity of shoppers at United Supermarkets in Abilene, more children at Bonham will have the tools necessary for a great start to the new school year. Once again this year, United Way and United Supermarkets and Market Street teamed up for the K-Ready Kids School Supply Drive, and this year’s beneficiary of the generosity of the people shopping in those stores was Bonham.

Dr. Ashby and members of United management were on hand to deliver boxes of school supplies as well as a check for $2,400 to principal Kyle Wiskow and the school. The Bonham area and some of its families were hit hard by the tornado that went through the west side of Abilene on the morning of May 18, and that’s why the school was chosen to receive this year’s school supplies.

“This area was at the center of the tornado,” Dr. Ashby said, “and we wanted to make sure we were able to help families that have already gone through enough hardship the last few months. The community has continued with an outpouring of generosity for our most valuable resource, our children. United Way thanks the United Supermarket and Market Street families for their support of education in Abilene.”

Local shoppers donated the supplies in July at all local United and Market Street stores. Items collected for the students include scissors, glue, pencils, backpacks and paper. The first day of school for all students in the Abilene ISD is Wednesday, Aug. 21.