Mount, Staples, Beekman Soccer donate thousands in school supplies

Thanks to the combined efforts of Mount Saint Mary College, Staples in Mount Kisco, N.Y., and the Beekman Soccer Club, dozens of local children are receiving much-needed school supplies.

The operation was the brainchild of Chris Lyn, Women’s Soccer coach at the Mount. It yielded 200 bags of school supplies for children in need. Some of these bags have already been donated to the Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Beekman Parks and Rec summer camp program, and the Sparrow’s Nest charity in New Windsor, N.Y. The rest will go to other local charities and organizations.

Through the “Staples Cares” program, the Mount Kisco Staples donated thousands of dollars in supplies, including crayons, pencils, markers, folders, and more. Mount Saint Mary College’s Department of Marketing and Communications also donated various items for the bags, such as water bottles and pens.

 “All of this couldn’t have been done without support from Staples, Mount Saint Mary College, and Beekman Soccer Club,” Lyn noted.

On Sunday, May 23 – following the Mount’s in-person Commencement ceremony for 2020 graduates – Lyn organized an event where volunteers took the donated items and separated them into individual bags. It was held on the Beekman Soccer Club’s field.

“We formed an assembly line,” explained Lyn, with volunteers making sure that each bag was packed with the appropriate number of goodies. “It went exceptionally well and the kids had a great time.”

Aiding Lyn in his efforts were Fr. Greg Fluet, campus chaplain and Campus Ministry director; Trevor Purcell, assistant athletic director, and other members of the Mount’s Women’s Soccer team; and more than 50 students and 30 parents of the Chris Lyn Soccer Academy (CLSA).

Lyn founded CLSA, which offers year-round soccer training programs for children ages 4 and up, in March of 2020. Over the past year and a half, Lyn has ensured that the CLSA students take part in community service. 

“I really want the kids to be involved in service and and have a sense of community,” Lyn explained, adding, “It’s a big part of the Mount Saint Mary philosophy and mission to help people in need and to engage with the community.”