May 20, 2024
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Plainfield Academy, BASES program, each receive $20,000 from anonymous donor

Donor encouraged recipients to ‘think big’ when it came to spending it

By Denise M. Baran-Unland

BASES teacher Jodie Gammon talks with a student at Wesmere Elementary School on Friday, May 14, 2021. The program, which stands for Building Academic and Social Emotional Skills, is getting a $20,000 gift from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The donation also will benefit the BASES program at Creekside Elementary School. The same person also donated $20,000 to Plainfield Academy. (Photo provided)

Plainfield Academy and the BASES program at Creekside and Wesmere elementary schools in Plainfield each recently received a $20,000 donation from an anonymous donor with the instructions to “think big,” according to a news release from District 02 in Plainfield.

“When one of the teachers (suggested buying) Kleenex (for the school), I said ‘No,”, the donor said in the release. “I have $20,000 in mind to give you. You can make a big impact if you have that much money.”

The donations will be used in a variety of ways. This includes providing seed money for fundraisers; equipment for students; staff development; supplies for art therapy; and family kits to extend BASES support at home.

In addition, the donations will help staff provide programs beyond what is traditionally funded through District 202, Tim Albores, director of student services for high school and ED/Alternative Programs, said in the release.

“In most cases, many of the students who attend these programs have not found success in the traditional school environment.” Albores said in the release. “Students in these programs flourish because of the relationships, talents, and supports these programs provide.”

The release said the anonymous donor was personally involved with both the Plainfield Academy and the BASES program and credited both the program and BASES teacher Jodie Gammon “with saving a family member’s academic life,” the release said.

“I love the staff there more than I could put into words,” the donor said in the release. “They are extraordinary people who are thinking about these kids even before they walk in the door.”

BASES stands for Building Academic and Social Emotional Skills. The program helps students succeed due to a learning environment that is highly structured and behaviorally focused.

The release said the news of the $20,000 left Gammon speechless.

“This is such a selfless gift,” Gammon said in the release. “It’s like saying you guys have made a tremendous impact in my life and now I want to pay it forward.”

Plainfield Academy has programs to help students who may be struggling with behavior or with academics in a larger classroom setting. Its principal Marcus Lyke is also thankful for the $20,000 donation.

“The difference that this contribution will make in our students’ lives will go a long way in helping them prepare for life within the walls of Plainfield Academy and beyond,” Lyke said in the release.