CCRx's Fall 2018 Swap Circle for Teachers was a great success!
Over 500 Chicago teachers received more than 10 tons of supplies, materials and equipment donated by 140 Chicago businesses and individuals, valued at $150,000. The Swap was held at Rockwell on the River, a beautiful event space donated to CCRx for the 2 weeks it took to build, host and dismantle this pop-up event.
80+ volunteers were needed to make it happen, and they pitched in on everything from designing signs to directing traffic, weighing donations, greeting teachers and sweeping up. They were (are) amazing!!!
Highlights? Well....
Kendra Johnson won the drum set for Sullivan High School!
Erin Franziger won the Casio keyboard for Telpochcalli Elementary School!
Muhammed University got 20+ painting easels, someone got 150+ orchestra gowns, someone else got a whole bunch of graduation gowns, and Roseanne Tellez from CBS News did a great story on us!
Many teachers got classroom sets of The Great Garden Detective Adventure and several books from Haymarket Press. Plus the First Year Teachers Survival Guide, and lots and lots of copy paper (thanks to the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation).
Others got a ton of science labware from Oakton Community College, classical music cd's from Lyric Opera of Chicago, and tons of fabric, office supplies, binders, craft materials and more from Dick Blick, Artists + Craftsman Supply, and all our fabulous Donors.
Thanks to WBEZ, WGN, CAN-TV and CBS News for some great media coverage! Thanks to Rockwell on the River for the wonderful space, Hall's Rental for furniture, Elite Truck Rental for a nice discount, and once again, our amazing team of Volunteers who took in, weighed, organized, arranged and helped out every donor and teacher.
What's next? Well.... we are looking for a permanent space so we don't have to build and dismantle this Swap all the time. Any ideas? 5000 - 10,000 s.f., South or West side, near Transit + Highways, Loading Dock and Parking. Free (or close to it) for the first year. Afterwards, we are a tax deduction and an asset to any neighborhood.
Contact us at info@creativechirx.org
XOXO.
