Donations Needed To Help Lakewood Students

LAKEWOOD, OH — During Friday's football game between Lakewood and Berea-Midpark high schools, the school district will be collecting toiletries for the AG Community Closet. The collection will be held in honor of Anne Giffels, a former district employee who passed away after battling cancer for six years.

The first 500 people to donate — either unopened toiletries or money — will receive "No One Fights Alone" T-shirts in Giffels' honor. The district said on its website that it needs toothpaste, deodorant, feminine products, shampoo, hand sanitizer and more.

The items will be part of the AG Community Closet, where students in the Lakewood Schools can discretely receive essential items. (Subscribe to the Patch Lakewood newsletter for local news and updates.)

"Anne Giffels was a beloved member of the Lakewood High community and Lakewood in general. She was most recently the Athletic Dept. secretary, where she interacted with many students on a daily basis," said a spokesperson for Lakewood Schools. "She also was a secretary at several other buildings in the district."

Giffels believed that everyone deserved "a little help, especially when they need it but don't ask."

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch