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Good Shepherd’s Easter basket drive in full swing

By Staff | Mar 16, 2009

A local school is making sure more children have Easter baskets this year — 500, organizers hope.
Good Shepherd School’s Annual Easter Basket Drive is already off to a good start.
“The official kickoff was last week, but we are already at over 102 baskets,” said mom and volunteer Kellie McIntosh. “We’re donating them to ACT, the Abused Counseling Treatment Center for women and children of Lee County, and The Children’s Network of Lee County.”
The school is located at the corner of Hancock Bridge Parkway and Orange Grove Boulevard, near the border between North Fort Myers and Cape Coral.
McIntosh, a Cape mom, is helping to generate enthusiasm throughout the school, and she has high hopes for donations.
“We’re going to start out in Lee County with our goal of 500,” McIntosh said. “But wouldn’t it be awesome to get 2,000 baskets, for all of the local counties?”
The school is looking for preassembled baskets, but is accepting donations of wrapped candy.
“We can’t have separate jelly beans, or candy like that, for safety reasons,” she said.
Baskets and candy alone are fine for donations.
“I’ll also be going to a dollar store to get stuffed animals and anything else for the baskets we need,” she said.
McIntosh is a big fan of the school. She has two children enrolled — 10-year-old Alexys, a fourth-grader, and 6-year-old Abigail, who is in kindergarten.
“They offer so many scholarships and discount programs,” she said. “It is a way for me to be able to get affordable private school education.”
McIntosh has a family history at Good Shepherd School.
“Both my brother and I have been to school right here. My mom, Donna Jekel, is a teacher and the principal. She’s taught here for over 20 years now.”
The family is also members of the church.
“I got married here, and I can’t remember not being around here,” she said.
There is an incentive within the school for the class that collects the most baskets.
“The top class will get an ice cream party,” she said.
Every day in the car line, the school has the Easter Bunny — or his stand-in, volunteer student Neil Martin — promoting the event.
Martin has been key to the drive. He has attended the school since age 4, and said he enjoys helping out with the drive.
“We have signs that show which class is in the lead,” McIntosh said.
She recruited her husband, Daniel, to do the signs.
“He works at Cleanest Carpet & Restoration, one of our sponsors, and did signs for me,” McIntosh said.
Basket donations are accepted through April 4 at a variety of locations.
“If someone can’t drop them off, I’ll pick them up,” she said.
The drop-off locations include:
— Cleanest Carpet & Restoration, 424 S.E. 47th Terrace, 541-8991
— Pro Files Nail Salon, 1631 Del Prado Blvd., Suite 412, 573-6245
— Pro Files Nail Salon, 1830 Pine Island Road, Suite 165, 574-6245
— Espresso to Go, 1518 Hancock Bridge Parkway, 458-5221
— Dance Dimensions, 922 N.E. Eighth St., 573-7837
— Sandbill Realty Group, 428 Del Prado Blvd. N., Suite 107, 540-1499
— Lawnmower Headquarters, 1539 Del Prado Blvd. S., 574-8929
— Mi Rinconcito Columbiano, 2003 Del Prado Blvd. S., 458-4902
For information, call the school at 995-7711.