SC Johnson participates in Racine, Wis., BTS festival
RACINE, Wis. — For the fourth year in a row, SC Johnson will be the major sponsor of the 11th annual free backpack giveaway at the mayor's back-to-school Stay-in-School festival Monday, Aug. 19, from 2-6 p.m. at Festival Park in Racine, Wis.
Students in grades K-12 will receive a free backpack filled with age-appropriate school supplies.
"Our partners continue to demonstrate their commitment to the community through their ongoing support of this festival," said Mayor John Dickert. "The level of excitement and anticipation for this festival grows each year and we're thankful to the community partners for helping get local students ready for a successful year with the necessary supplies."
Nearly 150 volunteers will be on hand to fill more than 3,000 backpacks with supplies prior to the event and to distribute them to students at the festival. No student will be turned away and in the event that supplies run out, backpacks will be provided following the event.
"Having the right tools to begin the school year gives students a boost of confidence and sense of readiness that encourage them to perform at their best," said Fisk Johnson, chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "We are thrilled to come together with the community partners again to support the festival and help Racine students get off to a great start this school year."
Attendees will also be treated to live entertainment, interactive games, and pizza and beverages. Other community partners, such as Molina Healthcare, Racine County 4-H and Focus on Community will be giving away school-related items and information.
SC Johnson also offers Racine students a variety of educational programs that cover a wide variety of subjects, including science, math, art, music and theater. Called the Kaleidoscope Educational Series (KES), the program has counted with more than 675,000 participating students in the last 34 years. The space at the Golden Rondelle Theater, programming and transportation costs are all provided by SC Johnson to ensure that no costs are passed along to the schools.
SC Johnson also awarded a $100,000 library makeover to the school that read the most books as part of the Racine Reads: Dream Big! literacy program, which challenged local elementary students to read 1 million books during the 2011-2012 school year.
The SC Johnson Young Leaders Scholarship program awarded $317,500 in scholarships to students in the Racine community who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school during the 2013-2014 academic year.
SC Johnson portfolio of brands includes Glade, Kiwi, Off!, Pledge, Raid, Scrubbing Bubbles, Shout, Windex and Ziploc in the U.S. and beyond, and brands marketed outside the U.S. include Autan, Tana, Bama, Baygon, Brise, Kabikiller, Klear, Mr. Muscle and Ridsect. The 127-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in nearly every country around the world.