Lake Placid, NY, June 6, 2017 – Leonard Bus Sales has announced that they are partnering with The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, and six other regional food banks, to help end child hunger and raise awareness of the importance of supporting local food banks throughout New York State.
Leonard Bus Sales is supporting school-based backpack and food pantry programs that provide meals to children when they are not in school. The company will be donating five dollars, the average cost to feed one child over a weekend, per attendee at the New York State Association of School Business Officials Expo being held in Lake Placid from June 4th – 7th.
“We are very grateful to Leonard Bus Sales for helping the Regional Food Bank feed hungry children through our BackPack Program,” said Executive Director of The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Mark Quandt. “We have learned through research that children who participate in the BackPack Program attend school more regularly, perform better, and have fewer disciplinary problems. Through this special promotion, Leonard Bus Sales will be improving the health and well-being of many children in the Adirondack Region and throughout New York State.”
“Our company has been committed to providing safe school buses to protect children for over fifty-years,” said Leonard Bus Sales Vice President, Jon Leonard. “Partnering with regional food banks to provide meals for kids in need is just an extension of our commitment.”
A representative from the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York is also on-hand at the Expo to answer any questions attendees may have about the program.
Instead of spending money on promotional giveaways at industry conferences and events, Leonard Bus Sales decided to establish partnerships with local food banks and allocate those resources to helping hungry children. The company is partnering with a total of seven regional food banks across New York State to support school-based backpack and food pantry programs servicing fifty-seven counties.
“Leonard Bus Sales has committed to donating one backpack per event attendee for each of the events it attends,” said Leonard. “The seven participating food banks will be provided a proportionate share of the donations based on the number of children they serve.”
In the fifty-seven counties in New York served by the program, approximately 22,000 children per week benefit from these programs — Leonard Bus Sales will be providing an estimated 4,000 meals per year.
Leonard concluded, “In addition to providing meals for children in need, we hope to raise awareness at each event and raise additional money for local food banks.”
Established by Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), the national Backpack program provides meals to over 450,000 children in need during the time they are not at school. The food is usually discretely distributed at the end of the school day, and given to the child when they leave for the weekend or vacation.
According to estimates, 13-million children in the US are threatened by hunger each year. This threat can jeopardize a child’s development and ability to succeed. Often, hungry children have a tougher time focusing on school and their future. Proper nutrition feeds positive physical and mental development and can lead to better academic and economic achievement.
To learn more about school-based hunger program or to find regional food banks in your area, Leonard Bus Sales recommends going to feedingamerica.org.
Photo (From L to R) – Sales & Marketing Coordinator for Leonard Bus Sales, Jourdan Pignatelli and Kassandra Martinchek, Child Hunger Corps Member at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY at the Leonard Bus Sales Booth during the NYS Association of School Business Officials Expo in Lake Placid.
About Leonard Bus Sales, Inc.: The company is owned and operated by the Leonard family, a recognized leader in the distribution and support of quality, environmentally-friendly school buses. A third-generation family owned business, Leonard Bus Sales has been providing cost-saving fleet management services and award-winning customer support for over fifty-years. Leonard Bus Sales is a leading distributor of IC BusTM brand buses in Upstate New York. The company also distributes Type-A school buses from Trans Tech throughout New York. Leonard Bus Sales is headquartered in Deposit, NY and operates four full-service facilities in Bergen, Rome, Saratoga Springs and a Trans Tech Type-A facility in Garden City Park, N.Y. More information is available at www.leonardbus.com.
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