Sandy Relief Brings Butler, Bloomingdale Together

Both the Butler and Bloomingdale communities have come together to gather food and supplies for Superstorm Sandy victims.

Police officers, students, school faculty members and residents collected items on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at municipal buildings and schools. Cleaning supplies, hygiene products and food items were collected. Additionally, items such as sleeping bags and hand warmers were requested of community members willing to donate. Cash donations were also accepted and will be used to purchase more items or benefit relief organizations.

Butler Public Schools Superintenent Mario Cardinale said he had a chance to see the items the students had collected over the past few days and that the volume of items demonstrated that the initiative was "really a joint effort."

"It's really a significant amount of goods that were collected," he said.

Cardinale noted at Thursday night's Butler Board of Education meeting that in addition to the Sandy relief donation drive, students have also been collecting items for the annual National Honor Society Thanksgiving Food Drive.

Meanwhile, in Bloomingdale, students also made an effort to collect items for the relief fund.

"This year the Student Council, under the leadership of advisor Sarah Hyland, decided that all donations would go to assist hurricane victims," Walter T. Bergen School Principal Frank Verducci said. "Ms. Engelhardt and Mrs. Bianchi’s homerooms collected the most items."

According to Verducci, more than 700 personal, clothing and food items were collected by the school's entire student body.