Students, staff, and administrators at Norcross Elementary School embraced a spirited start to the academic year as they gathered for a pep rally organized in collaboration with Office Depot® and its annual Start Proud!® initiative. The event, aimed at welcoming students back to school, showcased the ODP Corporation’s commitment to education and community support by donating more than $140,000 in Back-to-School essentials to the school.
During the celebration, the ODP Corporation distributed 850 backpacks with essential school supplies, reinforcing their dedication to equipping students for a successful academic journey. Norcross Elementary Principal Kassia Morris-Sutton was overjoyed. “This was an amazing experience for the staff and the students. We are experiencing joy and overflow after the events that included a shopping spree to Office Depot and the assembly to celebrate the generous gifts…” she said. Through the generous involvement of esteemed vendor partners such as Boise Paper, Domtar, and Crayola®, the
backpacks, valued at more than $125 each, were thoughtfully filled with an assortment of supplies, including notebooks, composition books, pencils, highlighters, a set of Crayola crayons, and a $20 Office Depot OfficeMax® merchandise card to help families with additional school supply needs. “This donation was so important to our community as it minimized the financial burden for our families and teachers,” Principal Morris-Sutton added.
During the event, the Norcross Elementary principal also had the opportunity to select an exemplary teacher to be surprised with the All-Star Teacher Award in recognition of their dedication to education and extraordinary contributions to the students beyond the classroom. Art teacher Bobbie Adamczyk was surprised with technological and office products from Office Depot valued at nearly $2,000 and the All-Star Teacher Award. “Bobbie epitomizes empathy, equity, effectiveness, and excellence. Her reach is vast, and she positively influences educators at the state level, the district level, and the local school level. She is a collaborator with the city of Norcross and the Norcross community,” Ms. Morris-Sutton said.
As part of their commitment to fostering effective learning environments, the ODP Corporation also extended a helping hand to educators at Norcross Elementary by providing the school with $20,000 in-store credit at Office Depot OfficeMax with the hope of alleviating the financial burden on teachers who often find themselves funding critical classroom essentials. Ms. Adamczyk said, “We are so appreciative of this partnership, and we send our sincere gratitude to Boise Paper and the Office Depot Team.”
Nationwide, Office Depot will donate and distribute 18,000 backpacks filled with school supplies to students attending more than 25 Title I schools through its Start Proud! Program. For more information on how Office Depot supports communities year-round, visit www.depotdifference.com.