Pokagon Band and Four Winds Casinos hold drive for backpacks and school supplies

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and its Four Winds® Casinos are pleased to announce more than 800 backpacks filled with school supplies were purchased from monetary donations collected from employees and donated to schools throughout Michiana.

A fundraising drive was set up as a payroll deduction for participating employees, with all money going to the Back to School Backpack Drive; a total of $6,000. An additional $5,000 contribution from Four Winds Casinos brought the total amount to $11,000. In years past, Four Winds employees have raised money for the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, LOGAN, Susan G. Komen, and hurricane relief efforts, among other causes.

“We have a fantastic team at Four Winds Casinos,” said Frank Freedman, Chief Operating Officer of Four Winds Casinos. “Our employees have always risen to the challenge when it comes to supporting important causes. We’re proud to join them in the back-to-school drive.”

In all, money collected from the drive was able to purchase:

• 816 backpacks, each filled with a dozen pencils, sharpener, markers, pens, crayons, glue, glue stick, spiral notebook, filler paper, folder and scissors
• 360 pencil boxes
• 240 1-inch binders
• 1,296 two-pocket folders
• 144 canisters of disinfecting wipes
• 46 bottles of hand sanitizer
• 5,600 stickers
• 15 boxes of Kleenex