2,400,000 pages of paper

• 648,000 crayons

• 64,800 tubs of paint

• 36,000 puppets

• 21,600 paintbrushes

• 21,600 gluesticks

• 12,000 puzzles

• 12,000 tubs of Play Doh

• 10,800 pairs of scissors

• 8,911 books

• 5,400 balls

• 3,000 lacing and shapes manipulatives (Primer Pack)

• 3,000 ABC blocks

• 3,000 I23 blocks

• 3,000 peg and pegboard sets

• 3,000 Crayons Count Curriculum Guides

The sheer number of manpower hours it takes to package 3000 Crayons Count tool kits filled with brand new, top of the line educational tools is astounding. One may think that the task is impossible however with the help of amazing friends in the form of  the National Baking Company, Crayons Count stepped up to the task which saw the National Bakery team staff volunteer team packing 3,000 boxes in 4 days. Don’t believe us? Check out the massive tower of boxes packed in just two days!

Just a up close and personal shot of just one day’s work packing the Crayons Count tool kits

According to the Early Childhood Commission, Jamaica has approximately 2,500 early childhood institutions with approximately 125,000 children ages 3-6. The staff volunteer team made boxes for every single one – the same materials for all for the third year in a row. Can you say ‘wow?’ We had a mission and everyone worked hard to achieve the end of goal of bringing smiles, laughter and fun to every child in the early childhood sector.

Puppets? Check. Crayons ? Check Paint set? Check .

Every step of the way, Crayons Count was supported by the National Baking Company, our largest sponsor . National Baking Company not only provided an amazing amount of monetary support to purchase the tools and the manpower to pack all the kits but also a wide, clean , open storage space for every single tool. Additionally, National Baking Company single-handedly distributed kits all over Jamaica that very same week and were meet with the most love and support from teachers and principals . You MUST watch this candid video of one such teacher giving National a great big thumbs up! 

I thought we told you that crayons DO count

As usual, we must thank all the organizations that supported Crayons Count this year with their donations. Price Philanthropies Foundation donated 8900 children’s literature books,valued at $US 20,000; books which emphasized respect and manners to the children of Jamaica this year. Food for the Poor Jamaica once again imported and cleared from the wharf every single learning tool this year while Zoukie Trucking  lent Crayons Count a forklift and containers for storage and transported the tools to the warehouse in Kingston. Every single day of packing was aided beautifully by the giant taping machine from 3M Jamaica and every specially stamped Crayons Count box ,3000 in all, was donated by AMG Packaging.

2700 basic schools and 130,000 children benefited from this year’s tool kits which came complete with the Crayons Count Curriculum Guide and heavily subsidized paper from the Jamaica Gleaner. Crayons Count exists because of the love and support of many individuals and organizations who understand how important early childhood education is. None of this would be possible without their help and a great big ‘hip hip hooray’ goes out to every single supporter. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation have been pouring out from basic schools all over Jamaica, from St Andrew to Westmoreland, from emails expressing thanks to phone calls with children singing. We are overwhelmed and beyond happy. We look forward to bigger and better for next year!

For more photos of packing action, check out our Facebook album, Boxes, Boxes & More Boxes- Packing 2014

‘It always seems impossible until it gets done’

-Nelson Mandela