Cool Kids need your cans

More than 9,200 cans were collected as part of the Cool Kids CAN-imals on Parade event held during the Brockport Sidewalk Sale and a little over 400 more have come in since the event, but Cool Kids still find themselves a few hundred cans or non-perishable goods short of the 10,000 can goal.

"We almost never ask for anything other than your smiling face," Cool Kids Director Steve Appleton said. "But this time we are asking for a little help from the public in meeting our 10,000 can goal."

While more cans are coming in every day, Appleton is appealing to the community to donate to this much-needed food raising drive. "We only have a couple more weeks to meet our goal," he said. "We're so close to our goal that we hope you can help us."

As part of Brockport's sidewalk sale, Cool Kids appeals to community groups to collect at least 1,000 cans and come down to show off their artistic talents by sculpting designs from their donations. Winners in the collection and sculpting contest this year in the Peace Award category that charged community groups to collaborate on a project were: a group from Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties who collaborated on an anti-smoking sculpture and a trio of Hilton Elementary Schools collaborated on an interactive maze about goal setting. The Attitude of Gratitude Award, based on a sculpture using items most needed, but less frequently donated to, food shelves went to the Batavia YWCA and the Hamlin Youth Group. The MOM's Club of Brockport, the only team to have participated all three years, won the Coolest Can-imal Award and the Brockport Police Explorers won for collecting and using the most cans in a single sculpture. They collected 2,552 cans.

The YWCA of Greater Rochester received an honorable mention for their participation in the sculpting event.

Donations to the Cool Kids can drive can be made in the form of canned goods, non-perishable items or cash donations. "The food we collect goes to help kids during the summer when the school lunch and breakfast programs are non existent," he said.

Contact Appleton at 637-5584 for donation information.