POTSDAM -- Omega Delta Phi Alumni Association kicked off its 55th anniversary celebration recently with a school supplies drive for Lawrence Avenue Elementary School at Potsdam Central.

Community philanthropy has been the cornerstone of reunion activities for the past five years, and is designed to support various causes in and around the Potsdam community, according to Association President Donnalyn E. Shuster, Class of 1978.

“With a large number of our alumni involved in education, whether in the classroom or administration, we see the increasing need for school supplies to support our students on a daily basis” according to Shuster said. “We chose Potsdam Central School as our target organization with the assistance of Kristen Martin Zender, SUNY Potsdam Class of 2003, Omega alumnae, and former guidance counselor at A. A. Kingston Middle School.”

The sisters donated a full pallet of much needed supplies including binders, notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, rulers and backpacks making back to school time a little easier for the students and families at Lawrence Avenue Elementary School. Many of the items were purchased locally as well, giving the sisters of Omega Delta Phi the opportunity to double their impact on the Potsdam community.

“With many of our alumni SUNY Potsdam graduates, we are proud to be a part of the Take The Lead Campaign as a part of our Bicentennial celebration,” she said.

“Each year we really look forward to giving back to a worthy cause in this town that gave us so much when we studied here” one Omega alumni said. “We look forward to doing what we can to make someone’s day a little brighter by helping out where and however we can.”