School Declines Surprise Backpack Donation

Rob Ditro said he was flabbergasted when he went to drop off 10 backpacks to  on Thursday.

He caught staff at the front desk off guard when he walked into the school with a donation of 10 backpacks, he said.

Ditro was behind his non-profit organization, , which he started to honor his late mother's legacy of anonymous giving, when a one of the women cut him off and said the school of 537 did not have students who would need them.

The woman eventually accepted two of the backpacks which also contain school supplies, he said.

Curtis Fundamental has 102 students — about 19 percent of its total enrollment — who qualify for free and reduced lunch, according to school district records.

A phone call placed to the school was not answered on Thursday afternoon. Office hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to an automated answering service. A call was placed to the school at 4:17 p.m.

Dunedin Patch first learned of the story through a Backpack Lady Project Facebook post around 3:30 p.m.:

So just got totally blown away at Curtis Fundamental in Dunedin they refused the backpacks except two. 

Donations and contributions from the public have allowed The Backpack Lady Project to supply more than 200 backpacks to schools in Dunedin and Clearwater . A  at the  raised 10 backpacks and some school supplies.

This year, The Backpack Lady delivered 10 backpacks each to Our Lady of Lourdes School, San Jose Elementary, Skycrest Elementary, Dunedin Elementary, Garrison-Jones Elementary and Sandy Lane Elementary.

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[Last Modified: 7:25 a.m., Friday, September 14, 2012]

Editor's Note: This article was modified for clarification at 7:25 a.m., Friday, Sept. 14, 2012.