Tue, 07/14/2015 - 8:15am

KATRINA CLARK,Staff Reporter

Bank teller David Machon (Boothbay Region High School class of 2015) of The First Bank holds the donation bin for Set for Success. KATRINA CLARK/Boothbay Register

Set for Success, a back-to-school event, will take place from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Boothbay Region YMCA.

Set for Success equips all students in kindergarten through eighth grade in area schools with needed supplies to start the school year. This is all done at no cost to the student or his or her family. According to creator and coordinator Sue Burge, this is done so “all students start on an even footing and none go without.”

Currently there are multiple donation bins around town when school supplies can be donated to support the cause. Bins are located at the Bank of Maine in the Meadow Mall, The First Bank, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Shear Artistry Hair Salon, Eames Hair Studio and Hawke Motors.

According to Burge, the most needed items are backpacks. Other items needed the most include erasable ballpoint pens, Ticonderoga pencils, marble cover composition notebooks, headphones or earbuds, thin markers by the box, TI-30X scientific calculators, pencil boxes, and soft-sided lunch boxes.

L.L. Bean, Walmart and Target have all recently contacted Burge to donate gift cards to buy school supplies. L.L. Bean is also donating backpacks.

“It’s all starting to happen,” Burge said. “I’m meeting with Big Al on Saturday (the 11th) to place an order for certain items, which will be very low cost.”

Set for Success is also seeking donations of winter clothing, especially winter coats in good condition. Pam Kamen of East Boothbay has just signed on to coordinate the Children’s Boutique, according to Burge. Those who wish to donate can call her at 207-633-5844.