As part of a three-year, $1 million commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Sharpie and Paper Mate are marking the start of the school year with product donations and a partnership with Kids Foot Locker on back-to-school events in Chicago and New York City.

The first of two events took place at Lloyd Elementary School in Chicago on August 20, where the brands partnered with Kids Foot Locker and Boys & Girls Clubs of America to bring 150 Club kids an afternoon of back-to-school fun. Hoopbus, a nonprofit built on the idea that basketball can transform lives and bring communities together, rolled in to bring the game directly to the kids, and a DJ kept the energy going while kids stopped by recharge stations to make their own keychains and grab snacks. Sharpie and Paper Mate provided backpacks stocked with Sharpie Creative Markers, Highlighters, S-Gel pens and permanent markers; Paper Mate Flair pens, mechanical pencils and erasers; and Elmer's glue sticks, giving each Club kid supplies to start the school year with confidence. A second event with Kids Foot Locker is planned for New York City in September.

“Sharpie and Paper Mate have always been about giving people the tools to put their ideas into the world,” said Casey Sullivan, Vice President, Brand Management, Writing. “Partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Kids Foot Locker means we get to bring that spirit directly to kids and celebrate their creativity as they head into a new school year.”

The giving extended closer to home as well. The brands donated Paper Mate Flair pens and Elmer’s Squishies activity sets to Boys & Girls Clubs in Shelbyville and Maryville, Tennessee, home to Newell’s writing plant and distribution center, giving Club kids in the brands’ own backyard some creativity to bring into the new school year. Sharpie and Paper Mate also provided funding to Boys & Girls Clubs in Atlanta, Maryville and Hudson County, New Jersey to support arts programming for Club kids in those communities. The activations build on an ongoing commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America that has supported arts programming and provided school supplies for Club kids in the communities where Newell operates, helping light up everyday moments for kids both in and out of the classroom.