There is great power behind a single crayon, a molded piece of colorful wax that brings to life, a child’s magical imagination in an instant. For Bryan Ware, the opportunity to bring this power to children in hospitals and underserved schools is what motivated him to start a charity called The Crayon Initiative where they “recycle unwanted crayons into unlimited possibilites for children”.
The Crayon Initiative receives their broken crayon supply from businesses – mainly restaurants where free crayons are handed out to young diners – as well as schools and families, to collect used crayons that would have otherwise been discarded. He and his team of volunteers sort the crayons by color, melt them down to liquid wax, then mold them into brand new crayons ready for distribution. Through their partnership with hospitals, schools and arts programs all across the US, the remolded crayons have given thousands of children a way to alleviate anxiety, reduce stress and express creativity all the while keeping crayons (which are non-biodegradeable!) out of our landfills.
Rimini Street’s Pleasanton Team and The Crayon Initiative joined forces to sort over 600 pounds (272 kg) of broken crayons in a mere 3 hours and donated 200 children’s coloring books along with a financial contribution to support the efforts of this extraordinary organization. We look forward to hosting many more events with The Crayon Initiative throughout our US offices!
