Locals Coordinate "Adopt The Class of 2020" For ECHS Seniors

Donations Will Provide Keepsake Giftbags To Wildcat Seniors

Darren Doyle, story:
Three Edmonson County volunteers have coordinated an effort to try to make up for memories lost by ECHS 2020 seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carol Stice, who is Curriculum Coordinator for Edmonson County Schools, Stacy Raymer, retired ECHS educator and counselor, and Mindy Johnson, Assistant Director of Student Activities at WKU have joined to organize "Adopt the Class of 2020," which will provide keepsake gift bags to all ECHS seniors.

In a promo for the community, the group said: "Think back to the weeks before your high school graduation; there were so many events and memories made.  With the current state of things, this year’s Seniors have missed out on so many of those memories.  Edmonson County has rallied together so many times to show support when it was needed.  Let’s come together once more to give our Seniors the sendoff they truly deserve! Join us in Adopting the ECHS Senior Class of 2020.  Your minimum donation of $15 will help us give each of our Seniors a gift bag filled with keepsakes that will always remind them how their county and communities came together to show them how truly special they are!"

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Carol Stice said she and the other two ladies were reflecting on their own senior experiences and discussed how they were saddened that this year's seniors had missed out on so much. She said they agreed that seniors deserved something to show that the local community supports them wishes them the very best.

"We met outside Saturday morning to brainstorm some ideas and ‘Adopt the Class of 2020’ was born," said Stice. "We discussed our plan with Mr. Alexander, Principal at ECHS, to make sure we weren’t ‘stepping on any toes’ and he loved the idea. We worked out a plan to be inclusive and show community support to all of our seniors."

The event is completely volunteer coordinated and is not officially a school sponsored event, Stice said. She included a detailed list of frequently asked questions (below) with details for how the program works and directions for all community members to donate and become involved. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I donate more than $15.
  • Absolutely!  $15 is the minimum to donate. We will gladly take more! :) 

 

• Do I get to choose which senior I adopt?
  • No.  Since we want all Seniors to receive the same gift(s) from the community, your donation will be used to purchase gift(s) for ALL 125 graduating seniors.  We are adopting the entire class; not individual students.

 

• What does my donation purchase?
  • That depends on how much money we collect. Obviously, the more we collect, the more the Seniors will receive.  Regardless, they will each receive something(s) they can keep as a reminder of how Edmonson County rallied around them during this time.  Once we have things finalized, you will be notified (via the email you include on the donor form) of what each Senior is receiving.
  • Each donor will be asked to send a note of encouragement to the Senior Class.  We will compile all those messages into a "book" and that will be included in each Senior's gift bag. So, every senior will see who participated in this "Adopt the Senior Class" campaign.

 

• How will you know what to purchase as gifts?
  • Seniors will complete a survey that will give us some ideas of things they'd like to receive.

 

• I am already planning to send graduation gifts to special Seniors.  Why would I want to do this too?
  • We understand that everyone has students they have personal relationships with. This is not to replace those gifts you plan to give already.  This is just an act of kindness that our community can do for these kids who have missed out on so many special moments of their Senior years.

 

• How will these gifts be distributed to the Seniors?
  • We will have a pickup day at ECHS for Seniors to drive by and receive their gift(s).

 

• I am not from Edmonson County, but I know some Seniors and would like to participate. Is that ok?
  • Of course! The more the merrier.

 

• Is there a deadline to become a donor?
  • Yes. All forms and money are due by May 13th.

 

• I have a local business and would love to include something in the gift bags. Can I do that?
  • YES! We would love to include coupons, gift certificates, etc.  Please contact Mindy Johnson at 270.991.6345 for more information.

 

• I think this is a great idea! How do I become a donor?
  • Fill out the donor form by clicking HERE!
  • Send your donation one of 3 ways:
    • Paypal - paypal.me/MindyJohnson0829
    • Venmo-@Carol-Stice
    • Drop off or mail payment to Stacy Raymer: 160 Penner Rd. Smiths Grove, KY 42171

 

• I have some questions. How can I ask them?
  • Email carolstice@windstream.net
  • Call or text questions to 
    • Carol Stice 270.792.5967 
    • Stacy Raymer 270.792-0534
    • Mindy Johnson 270.991.6345

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A DONOR AND COMPLETE THE FORM. 
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The campaign begins today, May 4th and will continue through Wednesday, May 13th. All forms and payment must be submitted by the deadline. You can make payments via PayPal, Venmo, or mail/drop off a check at the listed locations in the FAQs.

"Now we just need our community to come together one more time and help us raise the funds to give each senior a gift bag filled with hometown keepsakes," Stice said.

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