March 18, 2021 - Four Prince George County Public Schools - L.L. Beazley Elementary, South Elementary, William A. Walton Elementary, and Prince George High School - were the recipients of a donation of 48 gallons of hand sanitizer from national workplace uniform and safety supplies provider Cintas Corporation.
The donation was delivered to each of the schools by Cintas First Aid and Safety’s Justin Pines, who provided each school with 12 gallons of hand sanitizer, further bolstering the school division’s efforts to encourage healthy hygiene habits among students and staff to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Pines said the donation served two purposes; giving back to a school division where his aunt, Iris Talley, has taught for more than 30 years at South Elementary and supporting the school community while they learn on-campus.
“I felt companies like ours should step in to make sure that our students, faculty and staff are safe because these students are our future,” Justin Pines, who serves in Cintas’ Management Trainee Program said. “The teachers here are on the frontline and they, along with the students need to be safe when at school, so we are happy to help support Prince George County Public Schools in this way.”
Pines and Cintas’ donation of nearly 50 gallons of hand sanitizer to the four schools is the equivalent of over 760 traditional 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer seen on most retail store shelves.
“We sincerely appreciate the continued support from our community as we all come together to respond to the extraordinary circumstances presented to us due to COVID-19,” Division Superintendent Dr. Lisa Pennycuff said. “We thank Cintas and Mr. Pines for their generous donation of hand sanitizer to our schools, which will support our efforts to keep everyone safe while on campus at our schools.”
“Anytime you have an opportunity to showcase community collaboration, such as the partnership with Mr. Justin Pines and Cintas, it is truly inspiring,” Assistant Superintendent of Support Services Dustin Menhart said. “This donation will contribute to our ability to keep students and staff healthy in our schools.”
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most important things individuals can do to reduce the spread of the disease is to regularly wash their hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer when those aren’t nearby,” Health Services Coordinator Michelle Grate said. “Thanks to Cintas’ donation, students and staff at our schools now have even greater access to hand sanitizer to keep themselves and their school community safe.”
The donated hand sanitizer will be deployed throughout each of the schools and serve to enhance current supplies already available at the campuses.
Since the start of the 2020-2021 school year, Prince George County Public Schools has maintained stock of hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment, and other important supplies in schools to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Students and staff are encouraged to regularly wash their hands, or utilize hand sanitizer when soap and water aren't readily available. This, along with physical distancing, face coverings, and stringent COVID-19-related protocols have helped keep the school community safe and allow families to have the option to have their children learn in-person or virtually throughout the school year.
To learn more about Prince George County Public Schools’ COVID-19 safety measures, visit our website at http://pgs.k12.va.us. To learn more about Cintas Corporation, visit their website at https://www.cintas.com/firstaidsafety/.