March 31 is National Crayon Day and the Crayon Collection is asking teachers, students and parents to participate in the largest national crayon drive and bake sale.
The Crayon Collection redistributes discarded crayons to children in underserved schools and eliminates waste destined for landfills.
Proceeds will support the Crayon Collection’s distribution of crayons to more than 1000 Title 1 Schools and Head Start Centers across the country. This relieves the burden placed on many teachers to purchase crayons out-of-pocket, most spending approximately $750 a year on basic classroom supplies.
“No child should have to attend school without the most basic of supplies,” said Sheila Morovati, president and founder of the Crayon Collection. “We really need the help of other conscious families to support our outreach to those in need while helping the environment.”
Restaurants also play a key role in donations to the Crayon Collection. Denny’s Restaurants has partnered with the nonprofit and is now donating the gently used crayons diners leave behind.
The National Head Start Association’s Executive Director Yasmina Vinci says receiving all those quality crayons donated from restaurants and participants is helping them help children succeed.
“Restaurants throw away millions of crayons each year and together we can keep them out of landfills and put them in the hands of children in need,” Vinci said.
How to get involved
- Start a Crayon Collection – Download and print a sign, and paste it on a bin and start collecting.
- Spread the word – Tell your friends and local restaurants to donate their unwanted crayons on March 31.
- Host a bake sale – Make a crayon collection poster to display at your bake sale where you can sell baked goods and collect crayons to donate to Crayon Collection.
- Donate to your community – Take your collected crayons to a school in need near you. Check the Crayon Collection website to find a school.
- Fundraise online – Start your own fundraising page by clicking through on Classy.org’s Crayon Collection fundraising site.
