A Culture of Supporting Students
For almost three decades, it’s been our mission to help set students up for success. And as the needs of schools and students have changed, so has our approach. In 2025, we focused on three areas: classroom wishes, school improvements, and lunch debt.Making a Connection
We know there’s always a need. But we don’t always know exactly where that need is. That’s where our community came in clutch! This summer, we put out the call to help us connect with teachers, schools, and educational organizations in our communities. And you all showed up in a big way! We received 322 submissions spanning individual classroom wish lists and school improvement projects from Billings, MT, to Sioux Falls, SD.
Fulfilling Classroom Wishes
Teachers are the backbone of the classroom. Many times, these superstars go above and beyond the call of duty, purchasing supplies out of their own pockets to make their classrooms more accessible and learning more fun for their students. That’s why we stepped in to fulfill 30 teachers’ wish lists this year!From books to boost the in-class library and all-things glow-in-the-dark for neon activities to voice amplification technology for soft-spoken teachers and amps for the orchestra, each teacher’s wish list was unique to them. And we put $11,900 toward ensuring they had just what they needed in Billings, Box Elder, Custer, Eagle Butte, Hermosa, Hill City, Hot Springs, New Underwood, Pierre, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Sturgis, and Spearfish.
“I’ve loved seeing the variety of needs coming in. For years, we focused on traditional supplies, so it’s been fun to rethink what supplies can mean,” said Meghan Rose, Marketing Strategy Specialist. “An electric guitar for a high school jazz band is a supply just as much as the voice amplifier for the soft-spoken teacher.”
Making School Improvements Possible
Shared spaces and services in schools are essential to the success of students. We want to help make those improvements more attainable. This year, we put $17,500 towards 12 school improvement projects in Billings, Hot Springs, Philip, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Spearfish, and Whitewood. We would never have known about the teachers’ workroom upgrade or the safer woodworking tools without your nominations!
“When visiting the schools to give our gifts, we’re seeing firsthand how impactful our new focused effort has become,” shared Jillian Steen, Community Engagement Specialist. “Teachers and school administrators have been so thankful, but the real treat is the screams and giggles of pure joy and excitement from the students.”
Paying Down Lunch Debt
We know empty bellies aren’t conducive to a brain ready to learn. That’s why we’ve allocated $15,000 to help pay down lunch debt in our communities. Be on the lookout for more details on how you can help!
It Takes a Village
We couldn’t do this alone. Our School Support Drive giving is made possible by donations from our vendor partners, participation from the community, including spreading the word and chipping in, businesses that chose to partner up with organizations providing the supplies they really need, and our employees who can’t say no to a good raffle.“As our School Support Drive continues to grow and change, one thing will always remain the same. We will continue to provide support that changes the learning experience for the better,” Meghan emphasized.
