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Gr8 Paper Push raises thousands in cash and supplies for Indiana teachers

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For the fourth year, Central Indiana businesses opened their hearts and wallets to help teachers and students start the school year off right.

With the help of Two Men and a Truck, the News 8 team visited more than 20 area companies Wednesday as part of our Gr8 Paper Push school supply drive. The drive benefits Teachers’ Treasures, a non-profit store in Indianapolis just for teachers.

On average, teachers spend between $500 and $1,000 of their own money on school supplies for their students each year. Teachers’ Treasures lets educators get the supplies their students need at no cost to them.

“This is our community. These are our teachers, our children,” said Sherry Caldwell with the Nottingham Realty Group. “I was an inner city kid when I was in elementary school and it’s important for me to give back and it helps out everyone in our community.”

For many organizations, supporting the Gr8 Paper Push has become an annual tradition.

“This year, we did a little something different and we got the whole college involved,” said KK Byland with American College of Education. “We have shipments from all over the country, from our faculty and staff members. We want to fill Teachers’ Treasures to the brim!”

Through donations of supplies and money, Central Indiana businesses are helping to celebrate the impact teachers have had in all of our lives.

“We hit a record amount of donations this year,” said Brian McCarthy with KITE Realty. “It’s always a lot of fun to help Teachers’ Treasures gear up for the school year ahead. And tomorrow, we’ll be heading over and helping them organize and sort all of the supplies.”

This year, the Gr8 Paper Push helped raise thousands of dollars and collected tens of thousands of school supply items.

“You’ll see this product either in our free store for teachers or in our mobile outreach programs,” said David Hobson with Teachers’ Treasures. “Teachers will get these products for free and we’ll be able to get them in the hands of the students who need them the most.”

The Gr8 Paper Push was generously supported by:

Teachers’ Treasures always welcomes financial donations, supply donations, and volunteers. For more information, click here.

Special thanks to all of our contributors:

  • Cooke Financial Group
  • IU Department of Family Medicine
  • Covanta
  • Indiana Department of Revenue
  • American College of Education
  • Kite Realty Group
  • FLCO – Flaherty and Collins
  • VA – Indianapolis Regional Office, Veterans Service Center
  • Nottingham Realty Group
  • Patient Hands Home Care
  • Farmers Insurance
  • M/I Homes
  • Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
  • MISO Energy
  • Allegion
  • American Family Mutual Insurance Company
  • David Weekley Homes
  • MCM CPA’s
  • The Metropolitan Communications Agency