Western Disposal Raises more than $1M for Local Nonprofit

Boulder, Colo.-based hauler Western Disposal raised more than $1 million in funds for Crayons to Calculators, an annual school supply drive providing students in the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Valley public schools with the supplies they need to succeed at school.

Western Disposal raised the funds over the course of its nine-year partnership with Crayons to Calculators. Western Disposal’s annual Trash Bash event and generous donations from their partners Autocar, ShoCo Oil and Transwest Truck and Trailer helped reach the fundraising milestone.

This year Crayons to Calculators was able to provide over 10,500 local students, ranging from preschool through K12, with backpacks filled with school supplies—such as calculators, crayons and notebooks — for their education level. It is estimated that over 100,000 students have benefited from Western Disposal’s donations since Crayons to Calculators first began the program in 2007.

Between the two districts that benefit from the drive, there are more than

“The generous contributions from Western over the course of our long-term partnership has helped our efforts with Crayons to Calculators grow tremendously and made a huge impact on local children over the years,” said Fran Ryan, CEO of Impact on Education, said in a statement. “This is so much more than corporate philanthropy. With Western’s help every year, we are able to make thousands of kids proud to go to school with their new supplies and excited to learn.”

Crayons to Calculators is a collaborative partnership among five local non-profit organizations: Education Foundation for the St. Vrain Valley, I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County, Impact on Education, Sister Carmen Community Center and Foothills United Way, that benefits local students — pre-school through high school — and works to eliminate the achievement gap.

The program has grown from 1,500 backpacks in 2007 to 10,500 backpacks in 2016, and over 400 community volunteers came together to help stuff backpacks with school supplies this year.

“We are proud to serve our communities and be a part of the direct impact that Crayons to Calculators is making on the lives of thousands of local students,” Dan Souders, Owner of Western Disposal, said in a statement. “At Western Disposal, we are always looking for ways to positively impact in the future, whether it’s adopting environmentally-focused technology or ensuring our future generations have the tools they need, provided by the Crayons to Calculators program, to grow and succeed academically.”