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Windsor schools grateful to receive donation of 31,000 crayons

Former teacher Rosemary Marentette got the Staples office supply store on Dougall Avenue to donate 31,000 crayons to four Catholic elementary schools in Windsor.

Former teacher approached Staples, which donated the crayons

Dale Molnar · CBC News ·
Grade 2 students at Immaculate Conception school in Windsor hold donated crayons to the school. (L to R) John Tomena, Leander Alhassen, David Muhosi.
Grade 2 students at Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School in Windsor hold crayons donated to the school. From left to right: John Tomena, Leander Alhassen and David Muhosi. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

Four Catholic elementary schools got a huge donation of crayons Thursday. It was all made possible by a retired teacher and the Staples store on Dougall Avenue.

Rosemary Marentette, a former teacher at St. James Catholic Elementary School in the west end who belongs to a group of women who do charity work, found out some of the kids didn't have the supplies at the school.

"So I went to Staples and I grabbed a container of pencils and then I asked to speak to the manager Blanca and I said, 'could you give me a discount on the pencils?' and explained it was for St. James that it was a very needy school," said Marentette.

Former St. James Catholic school teacher Rosemary Marentette brought 31,000 crayons donated by Staples to four catholic schools Thursday.
Former St. James Catholic school teacher Rosemary Marentette brought 31,000 crayons donated by Staples to four Catholic schools Thursday. (Dale Molnar/CBC)

Not only did the store cover the cost of the pencils, they threw in some crayons for free too — 31,000 of them.

So Marentette also brought crayons to Immaculate Conception Catholic Elementary School, and two others: St. Teresa of Calcutta and St. Angela.

"This is a very timely donation. Next week is World Kindness Day. So our Grade 8 leaders, along with this class today, we're making kindness cards to share with the community and to share with our school community next week. So in a way, the donation was so kind for us that we get to pay it forward," said Immaculate Conception principal Heather Best.

WATCH: Kids cheer for huge crayon donation

How a retired Windsor teacher got 31,000 crayons donated to schools

23 days ago
Duration 2:27
Four Catholic elementary schools got a huge donation of crayons Thursday. It was all made possible by a retired teacher, Rosemary Marentette, and the Staples store on Dougall Avenue. Dale Molnar reports.

"A lot of families don't have very much money. They have a hard time handling food, paying the rent, paying their bills. These are for them extras," said Marentette.

Kim Capaldi, the principal at St. James, says it's a great help there too.

"We have a lot of newcomer families that come to the area. So sometimes they're coming with not enough stuff for school. So getting new crayons is awesome," said Capaldi.

So many crayons were donated, the schools are able to make them available to all.

Kids like Odell Albaloo from Immaculate Conception appreciates them.

"I love these crayons and I like to colour with them," said Albaloo, a Grade 2 student.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dale Molnar

Video Journalist

Dale Molnar is a video journalist at CBC Windsor. He is a graduate of the University of Windsor and has worked in television, radio and print. He has received a number of awards including an RTDNA regional TV news award and a New York Festivals honourable mention.

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