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Co-op launches school aid drive By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings The statewide school funding crisis is being tackled on a local level. The Ashland Food Cooperative has launched a new fundraising program called "Scan 4 Our Schools" in an effort to help Ashland schools cope with state budget shortfalls. According to Annie Hoy, outreach coordinator for the co-op, shoppers can make donations by scanning a special coupon at the checkout stand in $1, $2 or $5 amounts. Checker Neil Jepson works a register at the Ashland Food Cooperative where coupons are offered. Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA The entire amount will be sent to the Ashland Schools Foundation. "We really feel like the foundation is the place to put the money because they will distribute it as needed," Hoy said. Co-op officials said every dollar donated will be matched by the food cooperative up to $500 per month. The co-op has committed $6,000 to the ASF for the 2003 campaign, which kicked off on Valentine's Day. Zack Burrows, co-op front end manager, created the fund drive in October, when the school district was faced with the decision of closing one or two elementary schools. Burrows said the looming closure prompted the decision to do something for local schools. Exploring various fundraising programs, Burrows discovered that many programs glean donations, leaving fewer dollars where the need lies. "There was one program that came to the surface that seemed good but a for-profit company runs it and they get about a third of the money," Burrows said. "I thought, well maybe there's something we can do so that all of the money goes to the ASF." Devising their own program modeled after "Scan Against Hunger," food cooperative officials said that every dollar donated will go directly toward supporting Ashland schools. "We wanted the school district to get the bulk of the money, not into the pockets of some fundraising company," Hoy said. From October through December, $924 was raised through customer donations matched with co-op funds. Another $232 was raised in January. ASF board members are grateful for the support and hope other donors will step forward to make this year's annual campaign drive a success. According to Susan Bacon, an ASF representative, this year's ASF campaign seeks to raise more funds than in previous years. "Our goal for this year is $500,000," Bacon said. "We've tried to, since the funding situation's become so unstable, raise money annually at a higher rate than we used to." Bacon said budget cuts are going to the core of education requiring more funding assistance from sources other than the state. To garner support and generate funds, the ASF will be sending out letters today to previous donors asking them for their continued support. In addition to letters, donors will receive phone calls from the ASF Feb. 25, Feb. 26, Feb. 27 and March 4. The ASF campaign will conclude at the end of March. For more information on the campaign, in addition to information on where previous donations were allocated, log on to www.ashlandschoolsfoundation.org LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -