ODFL held a backpack drive earlier this month, when it encouraged students to donate their old backpacks to children in Nicaragua. In total, the club gathered 68 backpacks, 64 book bags, 7 athletic bags and 13 other miscellaneous bags.

When a group of 18 students traveled to Nicaragua to help build a classroom at Montegrande elementary school last July, the students saw Nicaraguan children carrying school supplies in plastic bags. The elementary school did not have the funds to provide the children with school supplies, and if they lost any pens or pencils, the families did not have the funds to buy new ones.

In light of this situation, ODFL had hoped to receive enough backpacks for the younger students, but the fundraiser was more successful than it had hoped.

“We hoped to collect enough bags to furnish the kids in first and second grade, but it turns out all of the kids will get bags,” ODFL adviser Lisa Bolton said. “There are 110 kids at the school, so the extras will be donated to the local high school.”