CET Students Stuff Bus With PJs, Books For Needy Kids

CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — Pajama Program finished up its 10th annual “Stuff-a-Bus” campaign Tuesday. Westchester schools and organizations including Carrie E. Tompkins School stuffed the inside of a school bus with new pajamas and books to be given to the children and teens Pajama Program serves.

Pajama Program offers at-risk children, often abandoned, abused and neglected, and living in group homes, shelters and temporary housing, the unconditional, magical gifts of new pajamas and new books so that they can enjoy the greatest benefit of a loving bedtime and peaceful good night: a fulfilling good day.

Pajama Program is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which believes that every child, no matter their circumstances, has the inherent right to a loving good night, complete with the comforting bedtime ritual of changing into clean, warm pajamas and enjoying an enchanting story.

For seven days, Pajama Program’s decorated school bus, which is donated by County Coach each year, made stops at Westchester County schools and businesses to collect the new pajamas and books to fill the inside of the bus.

A Pep Rally was held at the Yonkers Montessori Academy with Yonkers Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, where Pajama Program’s Founder and Westchester resident Genevieve Piturro announced the week’s total donations – 5,175 new pajamas and 3,388 books were collected.

Participants included:

• Ursuline School, New Rochelle
• Colonial School, Pelham
• Hutchinson School, Pelham
• Pelham Middle School, Pelham
• Siwanoy School, Pelham
• Prospect Hill School, Pelham
• Temple Beth-El Nursery, Chappaqua
• Bedford Road School, Pleasantville
• Heathcote School, Scarsdale
• Scarsdale Middle School, Scarsdale
• Westchester Day School, Mamaroneck
• Springhurst School, Dobbs Ferry
• Dobbs Ferry High School & Dobbs Ferry Middle School, Dobbs Ferry
• Todd School, Briarcliff Manor
• Carrie Tompkins Elementary School, Croton-on-Hudson
• Cottle Elementary School, Eastchester
• Dodson School, Yonkers
• Westchester Bank, Yonkers

Sponsors for “Stuff a Bus” 2017 included: Carter’s Inc., Scholastic, Bob’s Discount Furniture, County Coach, Target, WVOX 1460AM, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Shydlo Communications, The Westchester Bank, Mt. Carmel Pharmacy, Entergy, 94.3 WFAS, and Sam’s Club.

PHOTO: Todd School/ Pajama Program