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Date: 3/28/2022
BELCHERTOWN- On April 2, the Belchertown Cub Scouts will have a bottle and can drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Pride Gas Station, located at 165 State St. in Belchertown.
“The bottle [and] can drive has been one of our largest fundraisers and we’ve been doing them for years,” said committee Chair Jess Wall. “It’s one of our ways the community comes out to support our Scouts.”
The Belchertown Cub Scouts are affiliated with BSA Scouting. They meet three times a month and their pack welcomes both boys and girls. Cub Scouts develops and hones children’s’ skills, abilities and confidence with the goal of creating upstanding citizens. Currently, the Belchertown Cub Scouts have approximately 50 scouts ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade.
Fundraising supports several their activities. A few times a year the group rents the Chestnut Community pool for the scouts to swim. In addition, they have visited local establishments like Austin’s farm, and have use the funds raised to purchase supplies for camping trips, cookouts and their annual Pinewood Derby.
Wall told Reminder Publishing one of the ways they’re hoping to use the money is to cover some of the increasing costs that comes with scouting, which are set at the BSA national level. They’re hoping with fundraising, they can continue to have great programming, and also subsidize some of the costs their Scouts have to come up with.
“What’s really important for us is to have these kids find and form friendships that reach across classrooms,” Wall said.
The Cub Scouts will be on the front half of the Pride station by the street for cars to drive up and drop off any recyclable cans and bottles. Along with a couple of parents, the Scouts will help unload the cars and afterward turn all the bottles into a redemption center in Springfield. The Scouts are aiming to raise $2,000 and the money will go toward their programming.
Individuals interested in Cub Scouts can email their membership chair at 57.membershipchair@gmail.com.