‘Cans for Kids’ just keeps on giving to the children of Chase Elementary School

The Chase Elementary School family has true friends in the Wood and DeGuzman families!

Each year for the past four years, the Wood family of Wurtsboro, which includes daughter Kelly DeGuzman and her family, present money and supplies to the Chase Elementary School. The families work throughout the year collecting cans through the “Cans for Kids” fundraising program. It’s a true community project as neighbors and friends generously toss their recyclable cans and bottles into bins throughout the village, with all profits going to the school children at Chase Elementary School.

Four people out in front of a tan brick building wiht the words Emma C Chase Elementary School
From left, Kelly DeGuzman and Dennis Wood, founders and facilitators of the “Cans for Kids” program, are with Chase Elementary School social worker Kaitie Rubin and Principal Bill Frandino.

This year alone, the Wood and DeGuzman families have presented $350 worth of pencil boxes in early September, $500 for the Chase Snack Pack program, which provides non-perishable food for students at risk of hunger on weekends, and $500 to support the school’s music and arts programs. In addition, Wood donates the seasonal decorations each autumn at the Chase main entrance.

All this from collecting cans and bottles and cashing them in for nickels!

“Thank you to all that donate cans and bottles each week,” said Dennis Wood on behalf of his family, “and thanks to the Village of Wurtsboro for their continued support.”

Wood began the fundraiser just by collecting the deposit bottles and cans his family generated. He started asking friends and family to save theirs as well. Soon, he had a drop-off bin at his house. Now, he and his family have bins throughout the village that they collect each week.

“The Chase Elementary family is so grateful to the Wood and DeGuzman families for the time and effort they selflessly give week after week, year after year, to benefit the students here at Chase,” said Principal Bill Frandino. “Their donations help our families in countless ways, by helping to supply them with the necessary tools for school and to make sure they don’t go hungry on the weekends. Our gratitude is abundant.”

Wurtsboro rocks! The Wood and DeGuzman families rock big time!