DAYTON — As students across the Miami Valley prepare to head back to the classroom, WHIO-TV, WHIO Radio, K99.1FM, and 95.3 and 101.1 The Eagle came together once again to help ensure every local child has the tools they need to succeed.
Crayons to Classrooms (C2C) is a Dayton, OH organization that distributes essential school supplies, books, classroom decorations, hygiene products, and more to over 4,000 teachers and 56,000 students at 150 high-need schools across Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Miami, Darke, Preble, and north Warren counties, at no cost to them.
According to local teachers, nearly 70% of students within the C2C service area lack supplies they need in the classroom during the school year. C2C has distributed over $2.6 million in supplies to local schools during the 2025-26 school year alone and over $44 million since opening its doors in 2009.
The average value of each shopping trip at the resource center is $698 in free supplies, and many teachers take far more, walking away with thousands of dollars’ worth of supplies for their classrooms and students.
This year, $21,402.23 in school supply donations were accepted. $2,698.40 was donated in financial support.
The current purchasing power is $1 to $2 vs $1 to $5 that was used in the past.
Over the past four years, thanks to the generosity of our Miami Valley community, the 7 Circle of Kindness School Supply Drive has collected more than $80,000 in school supplies and cash donations to support C2C and local students of all ages.