For the past 20 years Gary Hunt has combined a summer time Caribbean vacation with the opportunity to do a good deed. His Bookbag Santa project has delivered tons of school supplies to students in the Central American nation of Belize.
Hunt, also known by the moniker “The Turtle Guy” in the past, has also convinced a dozen or more people to come with him every summer, each of them carrying the maximum 100 lbs of school supplies as checked luggage.
In return for that Hunt’s merry band, who all pay their own way to Belize, get to stay in a small family-owned hotel right off the beach, at a special rate, where they are treated like royalty by grateful villagers eager to accept the school supplies.
“People in town are glad to see us – strangers walk up and shake our hands. They thank us because their kids got school supplies.” Already 12 people who went on this year’s excursion have booked a hotel room for next summer. Several have been to Belize 2-3 times. “It’s the kind of thing [typical] tourists don’t get to do,” said Hunt, “one of those warm and fuzzy opportunities.”
Hunt puts collection bins in local schools a few months before the summer break, asking for pens, pads and other items the students haven’t used. Students at a school in Belize may be given one pencil and spiral notebook for the year, depending on groups like Bookbag Santa and others for extra supplies. Bookbag Santa has been recognized by local schools and town councils in appreciation for the supplies brought down.
“We’re not the only organization bringing things in to Belize,” noted Hunt, who markets Bookbag Santa year round at local events in Roanoke. He also hits up local businesses for donations. Belize children often think its “exotic” to have a pen with the name of a business on it. “American kids throw away everything…this is pens, pencils, clean paper, three-ring binders, rulers, erasers.”
Hunt said Belize, the only English-speaking country in Central America, isn’t a third world country, but many don’t have much extra spending money and welcome the visit from Hunt and the Bookbag Santa contingent every summer. The economy depends almost entirely on tourism.
Hunt first started going to Belize on his own more than two decades ago. After his first trip down, he started bringing small toys from McDonalds and items he would pick up in hotels or at trade shows. “It just kind of snowballed. They started bringing [the supplies] to the schools and sharing it with their friends.” To date Bookbag Santa has now brought down supplies for 7 different schools (grades K-8), with three chosen every year.
Hunt said Bookbag Santa is an eco-friendly program too, keeping tons of unused school supplies out of local landfills. Every July he and those recruited for the trip “take a cheap vacation down to paradise. You do your good deed by buying a plane ticket and getting the supplies on the plane.” Each traveler takes two 50lb boxes with them to check in; their clothes for the week are in a carry-on. “A lot of t-shirts and shorts for a week on the beach,” Hunt advises.
Hunt has been picking up the school supplies and hauling them around in a van that is now 20 years old. “It’s got personality problems,” jokes Hunt. He would like to replace his ride with new wheels, courtesy of Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program. Toyota is awarding vehicles to 100 nonprofit organizations, two per day for 50 days, based on votes cast online at www.100carsforgood.com. “We’re the only charity out of the whole country that’s been invited back all three years,” said Hunt. More than 12,000 non-profits vied for spots in the Toyota program this year.
Every day Toyota will showcase five organizations on line (the promotion started October 1) and the two that garner the most votes that day will win a vehicle. Bookbag Santa gets its chance on October 26. This is the third time Hunt’s small nonprofit has tried to win a car. They came in third place – one place short of winning a vehicle – the first two times. “We only need to get [online voters] to help us move from third to second,” says Hunt, “but we’ve only got one day [October 26].”
Don’t forget to Vote! www.100carsforgood.com
By Gene Marrano
