Greenwood Public School pledges to help student's father through clothing drive (3 photos)

Greenwood Public School is asking the public to clean out closets for this year’s Kidney Clothes campaign, which was officially launched April 30.

Last year, students from the east Korah-based school collected 5,970 lbs. of clothing, obliterating the school’s original goal of 500 lbs.

This year, Greenwood Public School Principal Frank Greco says the goal is to collect 800 lbs. of clothes.

“If we set up a goal of 800 pounds, who knows? Maybe we’ll get 8,000 pounds,” Greco told SooToday.

Much like last year’s Kidney Clothes clothing drive - which saw Greenwood students raise money to help with parking fees while teacher Teena Coventry underwent dialysis - students will be able to use some of the proceeds in order to help a member of the Greenwood Public School community.

This year’s campaign will help Steve Bailey, father of grade 7 student Wyatt Bailey, as he undergoes kidney dialysis, in addition to medical treatment in Toronto.

“When you put out a need like this, and the community responds as it does, it’s really heartwarming to know that people want to help each other out,” said Greco. “Sometimes there needs to be a vehicle created in order for that to happen.”

“Staff and families and students are definitely serving that purpose this year, and making it happen again.”

Wyatt Bailey told SooToday that his father currently goes to dialysis appointments three times a week, with each appointment lasting about four hours.

The Greenwood student says that his father’s dialysis takes a lot out of him, and that his father has had mobility issues since having his leg amputated below the knee a year ago.

“It’s been kind of hard for him to get around the house, so he needs help with things like cleaning around the house and making food, so I take charge of those,” Bailey said.

Kidney Clothes northern Ontario operations manager Debbie Dunham says that last year, Greenwood Public School collected the most clothing out of any school in Sault Ste. Marie during a single clothing drive.

“They collect the clothing for us, and we pay them by the pound for what they do collect,” Dunham said. “They’re helping the Kidney Foundation, and they’re helping their own organization at the same time.”

Bailey seems more than confident in his school’s ability to smash this year’s 800 lbs. goal for the Kidney Clothes clothing drive.

“We could’ve definitely set the goal a little higher than we did,” said Bailey. “I think 1,000 pounds would’ve been a good goal, but 800 [pounds] is a start.”

“If we get that, we should try and raise it a little more.”

The public is encouraged to drop off its used clothing donations at the Kidney Clothes clothing donation bin, which is situated in front of Greenwood Public School on the corner of Fourth Line West and Peoples Road until May 31.