Rapid City high school student launches drive to provide school supplies for less privileged students

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - School is only a week to a couple of days away for some students across the nation, and while some may find it easy to get a hold of supplies for their first day back in the classroom, others might not be as fortunate.

This encouraged a Rapid City high school student to organize a community drive project to help get supplies to those students who might not be as fortunate.

“He’s always kind of been involved with community projects like that, and this is his first project that is just kind of more for him,” said Cody Pipe On Head’s mother Robbie Two Bulls.

The choice to do a community project available for students at Central High School opened the doors for Cody Pipe On Head to start a school and baseball supply drive for students in and around the Pine Ridge Reservation.

“Knowing that there are a lot of students down on the ‘Rez,’ or where I’m from, basically a lot of them don’t really have school supplies to keep their education going, let alone even a backpack,” explained Central High School student Cody Pipe On Head.

He hopes to encourage more kids to stick with their education by giving those students the supplies needed for school.

“To bring up our education rates a little bit more and knowing that a lot more students can go to school if they have more supplies if they have the necessary supplies that they need for school,” explained Pipe On Head.

While he travels a lot for baseball, his mother acknowledges the importance of giving back to the community you identify with, no matter how big or small the impact may be.

“It’s always good to come home and give back to the people who mean the most to you, you know, and our people mean the most to us because that’s who we are. We’re Lakota, we’re Oglala, that’s our tribe, that’s our people, and we want to represent that, be proud of it, and also bring something back to our people,” explained Two Bulls. “We’re just winging it; it’s our first time trying something like this, like to this extent.”

Even though it’s their first time doing something like this, Pipe On Head encourages anyone to do the same, no matter the impact.

“Don’t be afraid to try; at least go for it,” said Pipe On Head.

Pipe On Head and his family will be heading to Red Shirt on August 17 to distribute school supplies and host a baseball clinic for families in the area.

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