WS Chronicle

The Winston-Police Department and the Winston-Salem Police Foundation helped hundreds of students prepare for the start of the 2021-2022 school year last week when they distributed book bags filled with school supplies at five different locations.

The Winston-Salem Police Foundation, a charitable non-profit, independent organization designed to provide funding that can be allocated to help strengthen community and police partnerships such as mentoring programs and community outreach events, started hosting the book bag giveaway in 2016. Every year more than 1,000 book bags are distributed. And this year, officers handed out 1,400 book bags. 

Officers with the WSPD began the day at the Winston Mutual Building and made stops at Reynolds Commons, South Fork Elementary School, Easton Elementary School, and Atkins High School, located on Old Greenssboro Road, to distribute the book bags to students. Each of the book bags was filled with notebooks, pencils and other school supplies. 

Retired Chief Barry Rountree joined the officers at Winston Mutual Building. Rountree, who is a founding member of the Police Foundation, said it was good to see the tradition continue. 

“We started the foundation to help the community, so it feels good to see this tradition continue,” Rountree said. “We love to sponsor events like this to get the officers out in the community to help build strong community relationships.”