Dry erase marker donations serve as practical gifts for under-funded schools
OAK BROOK, Ill., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- EXPO(®), maker of dry erase markers,
whiteboards and accessories, today announced its support of the Kids In Need
Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free
school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded
teachers. For every package of EXPO markers sold in the U.S. this November
and December, EXPO will donate one marker to the Foundation, up to a maximum
of 100,000 EXPO markers.
The Kids In Need Foundation operates 23 resource centers across the country
where teachers from Title 1 schools are encouraged to shop for free supplies.
The National Retail Federation is forecasting that Americans will focus
primarily on practical gifts and shop on a budget this holiday season*. EXPO
is encouraging consumers to help educators nationwide by giving them gifts
they can use in their classrooms.
"We have a long and proud history of supporting teachers," said Steve Gradman,
director of marketing, EXPO Presentation Products. "Many teachers compensate
for a lack of supplies by spending more than $500 of their own money to outfit
their classrooms each year. By partnering with the Kids In Need Foundation,
we're taking another step toward alleviating this situation, working to fill
gaps where we can in funding for school supplies."
"We are excited that EXPO has partnered with our foundation to support
teachers and their students," said Dave Smith, executive director of the Kids
In Need Foundation. "Generous support like this helps teachers focus on what
they do best - educating students - without worrying about school supplies."
EXPO markers can be found wherever office products are sold.
For more on EXPO products, visit www.expomarkers.com .
About the Kids In Need Foundation
The Kids In Need Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization
founded in 1995. The Foundation's mission is to ensure that every child is
prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to
students most in need. The Kids in Need National Network of Resource Centers
includes 23 facilities that allow teachers from low-income schools to obtain
free school supplies for their students. In addition, Kids In Need Teacher
Grants provide K-12 educators with funding to provide innovative learning
opportunities for students. The Kids in Need Foundation has distributed nearly
$300 million in school supplies since its founding, directly benefiting 1.6
million students and 100,000 teachers annually, and has awarded $1 million in
grants to teachers. The Kids In Need Foundation has received Charity
Navigator's highest four-star rating, indicating that it executes its mission
in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America.
For more information, visit www.kinf.org. Follow Kids In Need on Twitter,
http://twitter.com/kidsinneed
ABOUT EXPO®
EXPO® is a leader in dry erase markers, accessories and dry erase boards.
Newell Rubbermaid's Office Products Group, maker of EXPO® markers, is a
worldwide leader in the manufacturing and marketing of writing instruments,
art products and office organization and technology tools, including such well
known brands as Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, DYMO® Parker®, Waterman®, EXPO®,
uni-ball®, and Rolodex®, among others. Visit www.expomarkers.com for more
information.
* Source: National Retail Federation, October 6, 2009 (Press Release)
SOURCE EXPO
Erica Rubach, 1080 Communications, +1-267-258-7239,
erica@1080communications.com, for EXPO
