TEAM EFFORT: Companies team with Colts, DCS to provide books, backpacks to kids

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Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders Cassidy Howard, left, and Katie Lawrence, a Greenfield native, sign autographs for children at Brybelly earlier this month. By Mitchell Kirk | Daily Reporter

HANCOCK COUNTY — Brybelly’s vast warehouse in western Hancock County is capable of storing a lot of products. And recently, it took on a few more.

Tables held about 40 book-filled blue backpacks decked with Indianapolis Colts horseshoes. Hot dogs sizzled nearby. Colts cheerleaders signed autographs outside.

Earlier this month, Indianapolis-based Cargo Services marked its third year holding one of its Books for Youth program events at Brybelly. The event, which was earlier this month, also involved efforts from the Colts and the Indiana Department of Child Services to put backpacks and books in the hands of foster children throughout the area.

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Steve Fugate, Cargo Services chief financial officer, said the company has sponsored Books for Youth for 12 years. The program’s mission is to get backpacks filled with 25 age-appropriate books to foster children throughout the state, of which there are about 15,000, Fugate said.

“When these kids are taken from their homes, a lot of times they’re taken with nothing they can call their own, just basically the clothes on their back,” Fugate said. “An event like this — it gives them ownership. If nothing else, it’s a backpack that’s theirs, it’s books that are theirs; let alone the educational value that comes with having books to read.”

Books for Youth holds events like the recent one at Brybelly across Indiana, he continued. Cargo Services also sponsors a Colts home game every season where spectators can bring books to donate to the program.

Libraries throughout the state collect donations for the program as well, Fugate said. When customers buy a backpack from a Colts Pro Shop, one gets donated to the program, he added.

Books for Youth has received about 1 million donated books and given out about 10,000 backpacks, Fugate said.

He said foster children who come out to the events are typically younger but range from age 1 to 15.

Brybelly, which develops, warehouses and distributes a variety of products, is a customer of Cargo Services. Knute Lentz, co-founder and a principal shareholder of Brybelly, said the company gets “the easy part” of making space in the warehouse for Books for Youth events along with doing some cooking and decorating.

“All the hard work is through the Colts and through Cargo Services, who gather up the books and really coordinate the whole event,” he said. “We’re happy to participate in this event.”

Lentz said a number of Brybelly employees stick around after work for the event to help set up and do temporary tattoos for the kids.

Jeffrey Smith, also co-founder and a principal shareholder of Brybelly, said Books for Youth takes up a worthy cause.

“I think it’s important for kids to get as early of a start on reading as they can,” he said. “If you want to have a nice, long, successful career or be a productive member of society, it’s best to start young.”

Smith added the event helps introduce the company to the community as well.

“We like opening our facility to the community too because a lot of people don’t really know what we do,” he said. “We’re not here really promoting what we do, but it’s nice to bring them in and have a nice family atmosphere.”

Kristin Ballard, wife of Colts GM Chris Ballard, attended the recent Books for Youth event at Brybelly. Standing before the tables filled with brand-new backpacks, she said foster children often only have little more than a garbage bag to carry their belongings.

“Now they have a backpack of their own; they have books that they can get lost in,” she said. “It just makes a huge difference.”

Ballard said she and her husband find the program very important, having adopted two children through the foster system themselves.

“It’s something we’re very passionate about,” she said.

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"When these kids are taken from their homes, a lot of times they’re taken with nothing they can call their own, just basically the clothes on their back."

Steve Fugate

CFO of Cargo Services, which sponsors Books for Youth

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