For those who might have missed the bus on donating school supplies during this weekend’s Stuff the Bus campaign hosted by United Way, there’s still time to donate at one local business.

Through Sept. 4, Fitness Unlimited of Washington will be collecting school supplies for John Small Elementary School, in hopes of giving students and teachers the tools they need to be successful in the classroom this year. Supply lists for the school are available on site, giving patrons an idea of what to donate.

In the lobby of the gym, a table is already filling up fast with pencils, erasers, markers and all the goodies one associates with back to school. Especially helpful to teachers are donations such as copy paper and dry erase markers.

As a mother of three with a background in elementary education, these needs are something Fitness Unlimited owner Amy Gerard understands all too well. Her two eldest children passed through John Small, and she has a third currently attending.

“If the kids don’t have what they need, they’re not going to grow developmentally like they need to,” Gerard said. “The teachers have to give so much, so if we can give, why not do it?”

For the staff at Fitness Unlimited, the supply drive is a chance to give back to the community as well. With an emphasis on family at the gym, taking action to help with school supplies is a perfect fit.

“We kind of like to think of ourselves as a family gym,” Fitness Unlimited staff member Turner Ragland said. “So anytime we can give back to the community, it’s a good thing to do.”

For more information on the upcoming school year, as well as school supply lists for Beaufort County Schools, see the Back to School special section in this Wednesday’s edition of the Washington Daily News.