School Kit Giveaway for kids in the Fond Du Lac Band Reservation

The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa held their annual School Kits Giveaway. The kits were available for all FDL-enrolled children in grades K-7. This is the chance for families to gear up their kids for the school year with all the essential supplies.

Sandi Savage the Fond Du Lac Community Services Division Director says unfortunately they were unable to hand out backpacks this year.

“In years past, we have typically given out backpacks loaded with school supplies. This year, we have done something different by just skipping the backpacks and doing the school kits. We just counted the items in the kit we’re giving away and there’s 94 of them,” Savage said. “So you have 12-pack of pencils, pins, scissors, pinky racers, notebooks, a ruler, glue sticks, all those little things that are going to help students get on their feet with the coming of school.”

The community centers in the districts of Brookston, Cloquet and Sawyer handed out school kits from 10am-4pm, Thursday Aug 29th. Savage says the annual event started with the Min No Aya Win Clinic’s Prevention and Intervention Department. Although she also says next year there’s a possibility the communities can hand out backpacks again for kids starting school.

“That’s all going to depend on the budget year coming up for Fond du Lac. Our tribal council has the final say on what that is about. So we’ll look and see what happens in 2025,” Savage said. “As of yet, the centers have not asked for donations. This has been something that’s been entirely funded by Fond du Lac Band. As a band member and a great grandparent, my kids when they were younger benefited from this program.”

Savage also says the only way people can receive a school kit they need to have a grandparent, or a parent, or a child F.D.L. enrolled with a Fond du Lac I.D. Here’s more information about the School Kit Giveaway. Also here are some other stories with the Fond Du Lac Band.