Note: This is the first in a series of stories on Bluffton businesses and organizations written by Bluffton University students in an Intro to Journalism class taught by Dan Fultz.

By Jessica Parker

The Bluffton Elementary PTO is an organization dedicated to the betterment of the Bluffton elementary school and the entire school community. 

Melissa Knauss, president of the Bluffton PTO, shared about the PTO in an interview earlier this winter.  

Knauss says that she joined the PTO not only because she has three children in the elementary, but also because the PTO promotes the positive learning environment that every parent wants for their children. She wanted to contribute by giving back to the teachers and students.

The PTO puts on many fundraisers and events throughout the year. These include:
• Scholastic book fair,
• Marketday,
• coordinate volunteers for COSI day and STEM assembly,
• collect box tops, soup labels, and ink cartridges,
• holds a bakery Bingo event, and
• provides meals and other fun activities for teachers, especially during Teacher Appreciation Week.

PTO's biggest event by far is Bakery Bingo. It is held each winter and last year raised $2,100 and this year it raised close to $3,000.

Bakery Bingo consists of Bingo, a 50/50 raffle and basket raffles. The prizes consist of baked goods, supplied by the parents and the most popular prize is the baskets.

Baskets provided by local businesses and community members and organizations become prizes at the event. The funds raised from bakery Bingo and the other events goes toward such things as accelerated reading books to promote reading, classroom furniture and supplies and a weather station for the schools reading garden. Last year  the PTO purchased a big screen smart TV and repainted the elementary media center.

Anyone who wants to be a part of the Bluffton Elementary PTO is welcome, according to Knauss.  Meetings are the first Monday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the Elementary school media center.