Media Relations Contact:
Dionne Manchester
GW Communications (for School Specialty)
Email: Dionne@GWCco.com
Tel: 212-786-6068
Proceeds of Warehouse Sale for Teachers, Parents and Students
to Help Habitat Build New Homes for Families in Fox Valley
Area
GREENVILLE, Wis., April 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — School Specialty,
Inc. (OTCQB:SCOO) (“School Specialty” or “the Company”), a leading
distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and
services to the education marketplace, today announced the Company’s
continued support of Habitat for Humanity in the Greater Fox Cities
Area through its yearly warehouse sale events, two of which recently
took place in Appleton, WI. Approximately $500,000 in school and office
supplies were donated for the two-part March sale to help raise funds
that will go towards the purchase of materials for building new homes
for Fox Valley families in need.
In what has become an annual tradition, the warehouse sale sponsored by
School Specialty’s Greenville Distribution Center provides an
opportunity for associates to volunteer their time for a worthy cause
and the local education community to take advantage of deep discounts
on quality merchandise.
This year’s successful sale events (March 22 and March 29) were the
result of close collaboration among School Specialty, Habitat for
Humanity, Fox Valley Technical College, Festival Foods, and Lowe’s.
Volunteer students from Fox Valley Technical College’s semi-truck
driving school helped to load, transport and unload product as part of
their training — 4 semi truckloads with approximately 300 pallets of
product were moved. Habitat secured the venue and their volunteers,
with assistance from School Specialty staff, helped to unpack and price
the products in preparation for the sale. Festival Foods and Lowe’s
promoted the events by placing flyers in all of their shopping bags.
Additionally, Festival Foods furnished 150 shopping carts for attendees
to use. School Specialty reached out to about 4,000 local teachers, day
care centers and school administrators, inviting them to take advantage
of the steep discounts in art, school and office supplies, multimedia,
board games and more.
Considered the “Black Friday for teachers” event, well over a thousand
shoppers attended this year’s March warehouse sale. “Teachers, both in
the community and in surrounding areas, were so appreciative of the
discounted educational supplies offered and we were proud to help them
all with high-quality, innovative offerings at great prices,” stated
Dan Kohler, School Specialty’s EVP of Operations.
School Specialty has been partnering with the Fox Cities Habitat for
Humanity for more than a decade, since 2002. Through fundraising
efforts, including at least three onsite warehouse sales held in the
Company’s Greenville Distribution Center, School Specialty has helped
raise an additional $65,000 above the nearly $250,000 raised in
previous events, to help Habitat build safe, decent, affordable housing
in the Fox Cities area.
Mr. Kohler continued, “Our annual Greenville Distribution Center sale
provides a valuable opportunity to clean house for a great local cause.
More than 100 School Specialty and Habitat for Humanity volunteers were
onsite on the sale days to help shoppers locate items and assist with
check-out. Overall, it was a wonderful two days for building
connections with our local community. For the associates who
participated either in preparation or on the sale days, we extend our
sincerest appreciation for sharing your time in support of teachers as
well as Habitat. At School Specialty, we strive to give back whenever
possible and be a part of positive outcomes that could be seen and felt
within the communities which in kind, have made a home for us. We look
forward to an even stronger partnership with Habitat in the years to
come and making a difference in the lives of others.”
Habitat’s Communications Specialist Vaya Kiel, commented, “We are very
grateful for School Specialty’s ongoing support over the years and are
excited about future opportunities to work together in building homes
and communities. Our Fox Cities organization, in particular, commends
the generosity and commitment of the School Specialty staff in
Greenville who give their time and talent to our efforts so that we may
reach more families not only to give them homes but also to give them
hope.”
Proceeds from the March 2014 warehouse sales will help at least one
deserving family realize their dream of home ownership by partnering
with Habitat for Humanity.
About School Specialty, Inc.
School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary
products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The
Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and
very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and
supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with
educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to
help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure
that every student reaches his or her full potential. For more
information about School Specialty, visit www.schoolspecialty.com.
