Yard sale planned for school aide

Teresa Hinds

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

Students and staff at Piggott Elementary School have organized a yard sale, carnival and raffle for Saturday to benefit the family of a school instructional aide.

Proceeds from the event, scheduled for 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the school at 9601 Red Hills Road, will benefit aide Barbara Georges and her family. Georges' husband, Lou, died last week.

"There's so many times that Barbara has done so many wonderful things at the school that go unnoticed," science and technology teacher Steve Saladino said. "She has been left with enormous financial responsibilities. She's helped this community for years -- this is a fund-raising for someone who needs some help right now."

Georges has been employed at the school since it opened in Summerlin four years ago. She has two children, a son in eighth-grade and a daughter who is a sophomore in high school.

Saladino, who came up with the idea of the fund-raiser, said staff and parents at Piggott came to the family's aid following Lou Georges' funeral with food and emotional support.

"I just kind of had the idea that we could take it a little further," Saladino said.

So far, the school has collected everything from furniture to housewares for the yard sale, and Saladino said they are still accepting donations.

In addition to the yard sale, there will be a carnival and face-painting for children, food and drinks for sale and a raffle for prizes donated by merchants in town.

Parents have been busy baking food items to be sold and several hotel-casinos and area merchants have donated prizes to be raffled off, in addition to trinkets to be given away as prizes at the carnival games.

Piggott Principal Linda Kemp anticipates a good turnout for the event, but said it is important not to lose sight of the reason for the event.

"It's important to remember why we're doing what we're doing," Kemp said. "Barbara is a wonderful person, and a superior educator. She has done so many nice things for people throughout her career that it's only right that we do something nice for her and her children. At Piggott we're family, and in times like these, this is what families do."

An account at Bank of America has been established for donations to the Georges family. The account number is 210215202.