Law enforcement agencies hold 13th annual Cram the Cruiser

BROWNSVILLE, Ky. – The summer days have flown by, and soon enough school will be back in session for children across the South Central Kentucky community.

Before kids go back, though, they often need to purchase a long list of school supplies.

Unfortunately, there are many families unable to buy all the needed supplies.

The 13th annual Cram the Cruiser event was held in Brownsville, Ky., on Friday to help with that.

“Everyone comes together in this community and tries to form this to where we can give back,” said Trooper Daniel Priddy with Kentucky State Police Post 3.

People stopped by the Family Dollar in Brownsville, Ky., and Dollar General in Chalybeate, Ky., to drop off schools supplies for the yearly event that benefits children in local communities.

Kentucky State Police, Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office and the Brownsville Police Department also pitched in to help the cause – it’s their cruisers that are trying to be crammed with supplies, after all.

“The goal of this is to make sure no kid comes to school unprepared,” added Priddy. “We can give them a leg up and give them a boost to start the year.”

A lot of families in Edmonson County, and surrounding counties for that matter, don’t have the means to buy every last pencil and binder on their child’s school supply list, which is why Cram the Cruiser does so much to alleviate the burden for these parents and their children.

“A lot of them will come to school with nothing,” said Morgan Esters, a volunteer at Cram the Cruiser. “Most of the time we’re giving them a backpack chock-full of school supplies with everything they need for the school year.”

Kids need a lot of items during the school year.

“Composition books, coloring pencils, glue sticks, scissors, things of that nature,” said Sharon Brooks, an Edmonson County school teacher.

Every supply donated makes a difference, especially when 100% of donations go directly to kids in Edmonson County schools.

“It supplies us for the whole year of school supplies for the kids,” Esters said.

Ensuring children have the proper school supplies sets them up for success in the present, but also in their academic futures.

“For us to be able to collect stuff and be able to give it to them free of charge, it can help them be successful throughout their school career,” said Priddy.

In 2018, organizers say they collect around 1,500 donations, which was enough to cram one whole cruiser.

“It supplied all of our five centers for the entire year,” said Brooks.

In 2019, they were hoping to make it two crammed cruisers.

“Beat last year,” added Brooks. “That’s every year what the goal is, is to just do better.”

Cram the Cruiser is also part of the Stuff the Bus initiative.

The drive also took place in Barren County on Friday.