Moore County Schools received $9,000 in book donations from the Purple Up! Book Drive sponsored by Sandhills Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) during the Month of the Military Child in April. The book drive raised funds to provide K-12 schools in Moore County with books that highlighted military service and culture.
The Purple Up! Book drive was part of a larger initiative by Sandhills MOAA which received a grant from the National MOAA last fall to support the behavioral health needs of military children in K-12 school settings.
Sandhills MOAA also received a $5,000 donation from Challenge Foundation Properties. The large donation fully funded the Purple Up! Book Drive including the distribution of 480 books to all Moore County Schools’ campuses, STARS Charter School and Moore Montessori.
“I have lived in Pinehurst for eight years and have seen the impact of military families and how important they are to our community,” said Challenge Foundation Properties Board Member Dr. Gary Gammon. “As a board member for a charity that supports education, I felt that this program is very much needed, and very useful for our military kids, so it was the perfect place to make a donation on the behalf of our foundation.”
A portion of the Challenge Foundation Properties contribution will be used as matching funds with the Kiwanis Club of the Sandhills’ donation to purchase “Extraordinary Military Kids: A Workbook For & About Military Children” authored by Megan Numbers. The workbook supports K-5 students as they navigate military life and deployments and will be distributed to elementary school counselors at schools with high military student populations.
“We are absolutely delighted to be joined by the Challenge Foundation Properties and underwriting the cost of this effort. We are thankful for all the support we have received from Dr. Gammon, the Kiwanis Club of the Sandhills, the Country Bookshop and our community,” said Drew Croucher, president of Sandhills MOAA.
As the largest donation recipient, Moore County Schools recognized Sandhills MOAA and Challenge Foundation Properties with a Certificate of Appreciation for supporting military-connected children within Moore County Schools.
“We are grateful for and inspired by the support of Sandhills MOAA and Challenge Foundation Properties,” said Dr. Bob Grimesey, superintendent of Moore County Schools as he presented the certificate to Gammon. “The books will deepen all of our students’ awareness and respect for those who serve in the military.”
For more information about the book titles included in the Purple Up! Book Drive, visit the Sandhills MOAA website at http://sandhillsmoaa.org/purple-up-book-list/. For more information about military student support in Moore County Schools, please contact Rollie Sampson, MCS Military Liaison at [email protected] or (910) 947-2976.
Feature photo: L, R; Ed Dennison, MCS Board of Education, Dr. Gary Gammon, Board of Directors, Challenge Foundation Properties, Dr. Robert Grimesey, Superintendent of Moore County Schools, Drew Croucher, President, Sandhills Chapter of MOAA and Rollie Sampson, Military Liaison, Moore County Schools.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
