PCHS puzzles over school supply mystery
Boxes of binders were delivered anonymously to Phil Campbell High School with well wishes following the town’s struggles to recover from the 2011 tornado.
By Nicole Burns for the FCT
A mysterious delivery had Phil Campbell High School teachers and administrators pleasantly baffled.
Sept. 30, FedEx delivered 17 boxes to the school. “We get deliveries almost daily, but rarely are those deliveries 17 boxes worth, so I was curious about who had ordered what,” said PCHS Principal Gary Odom.
This time, no one at the school had ordered anything. Instead, a generous anonymous donor had sent boxes filled with gently used 3-ring binders. It’s a school supply that every classroom teacher needs and oftentimes will purchase with their personal money.
A note inside the first box sent well wishes after rebuilding from the April 2011 tornado that destroyed the school and much of the community. It mentioned that the binders were gently used from the donor’s place of employment and were simply going to be tossed in the trash, so he or she collected them for several years to donate to PCHS.
“The teachers were very excited to hear about the gift. We left the boxes in the front office for several days so teachers could go through them and pick out what they needed,” said Odom. “Many of our teachers ask for classroom binders on their school supply lists, but unfortunately many students don’t have the funds to buy them. Instead, they focus on the basics of paper and pencils. This donation will go a long way in helping not only the teachers but also individual students as well.”
The mystery donor asked one thing in return in his or her written instructions: “Please encourage your students to get as much knowledge and education as they can to help them have successful and happy lives.” Odom said his team of teachers won’t have any problem fulfilling that request.
“Our teachers are advocates for education. They love to see students succeed,” Odom said. “Sometimes, it means they have to get tough to keep the kids focused and on track, but many alumni, even as recent as last year’s seniors, come back to thank individual teachers for pushing them to success. We appreciate this anonymous donor’s investment into our student’s education.”
