The shopping frenzies of Black Friday and Cyber Monday have given way to #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving back. Now in its fourth year and held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. It has become a movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing number of participants.
Among the thousands of charities and organizations spreading the word today is the Kids In Need Foundation (KINF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which PPAI has supported since 2007. Its mission is to ensure that every child is prepared to learn and succeed by providing free school supplies nationally to students most in need. PPAI supplier members Dixon Ticonderoga Company and BIC Graphic are long-time national pencil and pen sponsors respectively for the organization.
Dave Smith, KINF executive director, was interviewed about the charity this morning on the North Texas CBS radio affiliate, KRLD. He asked listeners to help him celebrate Giving Tuesday by donating to the Kids In Need Foundation’s #givingTOOLSday campaign. “A $25 donation provides a backpack with 20 basic classroom items in it,” he said. “School supplies can and do change lives.” He also spoke about one of the KINF programs—a network of 27 teacher resource centers where teachers in low-income schools can go and shop for items to take back to the classroom. Those items come from a variety of programs and resources, including leftover samples from trade shows.
Staff and volunteers from KINF have been at The PPAI Expo for the past eight years collecting donated promotional products after the show closes. At The PPAI Expo 2015, more than $31,000 worth of products was collected from exhibitors; the goal for the upcoming show is to increase the value of those donations by 20 percent.
Exhibitors can donate their extra samples, leftover products of every kind and even shelving and booth components after The PPAI Expo 2016 by filling out the form here and dropping it off at one of the Kids In Need tables located at the main show entrances or emailing it in advance to LesleyW@kinf.org. On site, products for donation should be tagged with the labels available and left in the booth for collection when the show closes at 3 pm on Thursday, January 14.