Arkansas Tech University’s Because We Can student organization had already organized a successful drive to provide hygiene items to Russellville School District students in need during the spring 2016 semester.
On the morning of Saturday, May 28, Arkansas Tech students and faculty members took the project to another level when a truck carrying 44,000 bottles of Dove body wash donated by Unilever arrived in Russellville.
The driver was greeted by Because We Can members Derec Carson of Huntsville, Logan Felder of Russellville, Danielle Hurst of Conway, Chelsea Johnson of Harrison, Jericho McElroy of Magazine, Mason Sims of West Fork and Sydney Skaggs of Russellville as well as faculty members Dr. Sean Huss, Dr. James Stobaugh and Dr. Jason Warnick.
One armload at a time, the Because We Can representatives moved the more than 900 boxes and prepared them for distribution.
Huss, who serves as co-advisor for Because We Can along with Stobaugh, said that the bounty was so large that they will be able to meet the immediate need of Russellville School District students and have some additional products to share with local relief organizations.
The hygiene items drive started when Skye Thompson, human services worker for the Russellville School District (RSD), approached Because We Can seeking assistance in providing RSD students and their families with necessary personal items.
With the additional bottles of body wash, the spring 2016 hygiene items drive coordinated by Arkansas Tech Because We Can has now gathered more than 49,000 items at an approximate retail value of more than $72,000.
