ICON Builders Makes Large Donation of Backpacks to T.J. Pappas School
SCOTTSDALE (Aug. 21, 2001) -- ICON Builders kicked off the new school year for the Thomas J. Pappas School in Phoenix this week by donating 550 backpacks to the homeless children who are students there. ICON Builders president Allen Sands and 12 ICON Builders team members distributed the backpacks to kindergarteners through sixth graders in the T. J. Pappas School cafeteria at 355 North 5th Avenue in Phoenix. "These kids have so many challenges in life," said Sands. "The least we can do is give them the supplies they need to start the school year off right." The backpacks were given to the children empty, and Sands is hopeful that other companies will step up to provide the badly needed supplies to fill them. "There is great need at this school," he said. "As builders of government assisted housing, we witness first-hand the tragic lives homeless families face. We want to do whatever we can to help." ICON Builders contributed $5,600 for the purchase of the backpacks to the Wal-Mart store at 1607 West Bethany Home in Phoenix. Sharing in the spirit of the donation, Wal-Mart provided the backpacks at cost, donated $750 toward the overall purchase, and provided additional school supplies at no cost. "For many of these kids, these back packs are the closest thing to the stability of a home that they have," said Erna Lee Phelps, resource development director at Pappas School. "They carry all their treasures in these backpacks and, oftentimes, won’t let them out of their sight." The Pappas Schools are accommodation public schools for children from homeless families. ICON Builders is a Scottsdale-based general contracting firm that specializes in government-assisted multi-family projects.
