On Wednesday November 27th, 2019 a group of United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes Staff, Board members and volunteers met at the Crayola Canada office to be presented with a cheque from the 31st Annual Crayola Sale. The sale is held every year at the Lindsay Exhibition Fairgrounds (LEX) and attracts shoppers from all over the province; some shoppers even travel from the United States. The sale creates both local and global impacts as several attendees return each year to purchase Crayola products for mission trips to Mexico, Cuba and even Zimbabwe! Other attendees purchase goods for Holiday presents, or as supplies for classrooms.
Two years ago, the team at Crayola Canada set a goal of raising $40,000 to reach a total of $1,000,000 donated to the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes over 29 years. This goal was exceeded in 2017, and the success continued in 2018 with another $42,620.80 raised. United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes is excited to announce that 2019 was in fact the largest ever Crayola Sale, bringing in $45,132.00. United Way will use these funds to continue implementing their vision statement of crafting human care agendas within and across our communities, building coalitions around these agendas and increasing investments by expanding and diversifying resource development. The staff, board members and volunteers at United Way work tirelessly to ensure that these investments have recognizable impacts, and extend their thanks to Crayola for leading the way for other businesses to invest in our community.
Crayola Canada believes that every person in the community deserves an opportunity for a quality and colourful life: “We are very fortunate that the annual Crayola Sale can assist children, youth, and adults in the City of Kawartha Lakes. The sale started simply as a yard sale with a few Crayola products added in. It was the beginning of a long-term relationship and, thanks to the efforts of countless volunteers from Crayola, the UWCKL, and the community, it has grown to its current form.”
Penny Barton Dyke, Executive Director of the United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes shares her gratitude: “Our campaign this year has been about inspiring others to care and to lead. Crayola and its employees truly are exceptional in their commitment to helping children, youth and families. Their corporate leadership is outstanding as are the employees who volunteer for the sale and join in their workplace campaign. It is amazing to see shoppers from across the province support the sale and know there is a ripple effect in addition to the funds helping thousands of children and their families for 31 years. We would also like to thank the LEX for hosting the sale once again this year; when we all work together on community projects, lifelong impacts happen.”
United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes and Crayola Canada have recently launched an exciting development in their partnership. In 2019, Crayola Canada, Fleming College and United Way CKL partnered to develop nearly 2 acres of unused land on the lot adjacent to the Crayola building into Edwin Binney’s Community Garden. Some of the funds raised at the 31st Annual Crayola Sale will go towards this Community Garden project, which in its first year of operation was able to provide over 5,500 pounds of produce to 10 food banks and 11 agencies in the City of Kawartha Lakes, while also teaching agriculture workshops to 350 children from 15 school and summer camp groups. Plans for expansion in year 2 are well under way; those interested in getting involved should follow United Way for the City of Kawartha Lakes on Instagram (@unitedwayckl), Twitter (@UnitedWayCKL), and Facebook (@UWCKL).
