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Frequently Asked Questions for Gary Hunt, founder and president of Bookbag Santa, Inc.
1. How did Bookbag Santa get started?
I met a guy at a party who mentioned that he was going to Belize next month, and I asked if I could come along... I made friends with a family that had 5 kids and eventually had eight. As I went back to visit, from year to year, I would save up hotel pens and toys from McDonald's and eventually, they would share the supplies with other kids at school, and it just snowballed... So far, we have taken almost 10 tons of supplies to 7 different schools in Belize.
2. Where did the name come from?
In the early days, when I showed up with my duffle bag full of pens, pencils, notepads & toys... I was Santa Claus !
3. How do you get your supplies?
We put 10 boxes each in 4 "official" schools in Roanoke, and ask the kids to toss any stuff they don't want in the boxes- that means everything- pens, pencils, rulers, paper, 3-ring binders... everything! We also have 8 or 10 individual teachers that collect one or two boxes full, and a lot of individuals that bring in a bag or two. Also, we get a lot of office supplies from local businesses.
4. How do the supplies get to Belize?
That's the reason we get a group together to go to Belize... each person brings 2 50-pound boxes of supplies on the plane, so if we have 20 people in the group, that means a ton of supplies. In 2009, we had a record 26 people, and 2,500 pounds of supplies.
5. What does the group do, once you get to Belize?
Unlike a lot of "mission" trips, by the time we get there, we've already done all the work- collecting, sorting, and packing. The first day is spent getting in and out of airports, and handing the supplies off to people from the schools. Then, the rest of the week is free to swim, go to Mayan ruins, take boat trips, go fishing... sit in a hammock with a book. Your reward for buying a plane ticket and getting the supplies on the plane is a cheap vacation.
6. So- how cheap is it ?
The plane ticket is the main variable... in 2009, it went from $900 down to $477, and back up to $750 in 3 months. Once you're there, the hotel is about $100/week, and food is about $10 or $15 per day. You can figure $1,00- $1,200 for a week, and if you stay for the second week, it's about $200 !
Of course, you can always spend more on souvenirs, trips and beer-
7. What about the "scholarship" ?
Starting in 2010, we are going to be taking a graduating senior on the annual delivery trip, for a free graduation present. Of course, it will be a senior with good grades, and a record of community service, like volunteering at Ronald McDonald House- or gathering supplies for us at her/his school. To help get our senior there, we are accepting donations of money, and USAir or Delta frequent-flyer miles.
8. When are the trips ?
Since we collect the supplies at the end of the school year, at the end of May, we have 5 or 6 weeks to process them, and get them to Belize before school starts again... so the trip is always the last week in July and/or the first week in August.
9. What's the weather like then?
It will be the same temperature as Roanoke- high 80s and low 90s, but there's always a sea breeze in Placencia to blow away the humidity. Of course, if you take a tour into the jungle, or up one of the rivers, it can be as humid as a sauna. After all, this is the Tropics... it's the beginning of the rainy season, so we'll get caught in some showers.
10. Do I need a passport, or shots ?
You will need a passport- it costs $100, and is good for 10 years. There are no horrible diseases in Belize, requiring vaccinations, and you can get bottled water, everywhere.
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