HandsOn Jacksonville, together with business and community sponsors, visited several Duval County elementary schools on December 5 for its annual "A Visit from St. Nicholas Literacy Project."
Nearly 9,000 students from 17 schools arrived at school to find their doors and hallways covered in gold tinsel, and backpacks full of books and toys at their desks.
Volunteers from the businesses and community organizations visited each school to read the story of Saint Nicholas to students and talk to them about giving. A real St. Nick visited all the classrooms and encouraged students to be kind to others and take time to read.
The same volunteers who visited with students on December 5 also spent time beforehand preparing for the event. They participated in a Book Wrapping Party, where they wrapped and labeled approximately 27,000 books, and then also a Backpacking Party to fill nearly 5,000 backpacks with educational toys and new books. On the evening of December 4, volunteers visited their chosen school to decorate the hallways and classrooms.
Duval County Public Schools would like to thank HandsOn Jacksonville, as well as the sponsoring businesses and organizations, for their commitment and support of the students at the following schools: George Washington Carver, St. Clair Evans, S.P. Livingston, Annie R. Morgan, North Shore K-8, Biltmore, Reynolds Lane, Long Branch, Woodland Acres, Spring Park, Arlington Heights, John E. Ford, Wesconnett, S.A. Hull, Pickett, Sallye B. Mathis, and Carter G. Woodson.
This year’s sponsors included: AT&T, AT&T The Real Yellow Pages, BB&T Bank, Baymeadows Self Storage, Beaver Street Foundation, Belk, BJ's Wholesale Club, Blue Streak, Camerlengo & Brockwell, P.L., JAX Justice Assoc., Chrysler Financial, Citi, Coggin Automotive Group, Coker, Schickel, Sorenson & Daniel, P.A. , Community First Credit Union, Corporate Care Works, Cronin & Maxwell, PL, JAX Justice Assoc., Darifair Foods, Inc., Deerwood Rotary, Dubow Family Foundation, East Arlington Rotary, Elkins Constructors, Inc., Ernst and Young, Everbank of Florida, FedEx, Fidelity Investments, Fidelity National Financial, Fidelity National Information Svcs., First Book, First Florida Credit Union, Florida Coastal School of Law, Florida Times-Union, Ford & Harrison, Fraternal Order of Police, Gate Petroleum, Greene-Hazel Insurance, Harrel, W. Holt, JAX Justice Assoc., Harrell & Harrell, P.A., JAX Justice Assoc., The Heart of America Foundation, Hernandez, Arthur, PA, JAX Justice Assoc., The Hutson Companies, Intrepid Capital, JA-RU Toys, Inc., J.P. Perry Insurance, Jacksonville Port Authority, Kalil, John S., P.A., JAX Justice Assoc., Kiwanis Club of St. Augustine, Kohls, LyondellBasell Industries, MDI, MPS Group, Mandarin Rotary, Marks Gray, P.A., Scott McRae Foundation, Medtronic, Merrill Lynch, Miller Electric Company, NAIOP, Neviaser Family Foundation, PGA TOUR, Peek, Cobb & Edwards P.A., Priority Couriers. Prosperity Bank, Prudential Financial, Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc., Regency Realty Group, Rogers Towers, PA, Skanska USA Building Inc., Spohrer & Dodd, P.L., St. Augustine Record, Suddath, Swisher International, Inc., Teco Peoples Gas, Terrell Hogan Ellis Yegelwel, P.A., Total Office Products, University of Phoenix, Vandroff Insurance Agency, Vestcor Companies, VyStar Credit Union, Watrel, Steve, P.A., JAX Justice Assoc, Winn Dixie, Witten Family Foundation, WJXT, World Golf Hall of Fame and W.W. Gay Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
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