Hundreds of students in Santa Monica are receiving a boost of color and creativity this week, thanks to a donation of $60,000 worth of Crayola products from Epic Entertainment Group to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica.
The donation includes tens of thousands of art supplies, which are being distributed across the nonprofit’s seven elementary school-based playground club sites, as well as additional programs at John Adams Middle School, Lincoln Middle School and Santa Monica High. On Thursday, staff and students at Franklin Elementary gathered for a celebration marking the kickoff of the rollout.
“We’re hoping to give these all out today,” said Brynja Seagren, CEO for the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica. “And we have a whole other load at our office that we’re going to distribute to the other locations, to take home or use in programs, just to get art to kids.”
The Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Monica serve approximately 600 students each day across 11 locations, offering after-school programming focused on social-emotional learning, play and creative expression. At Franklin, around 30 to 40 children participate daily, mostly between the ages of 6 and 10.
Charity Hill, co-founder of Epic Entertainment Group, said the gift was meant to inspire joy and imagination in the wake of a difficult period for the region.
“Being a community member here in LA for almost 30 years, and just seeing what our community has gone through, we really felt like it was a poignant time to help kids dream again,” Hill said. “We wanted to focus on entertainment, joy and creativity and I think it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Epic Entertainment Group, which produces live shows and immersive experiences across the country, has local ties to Santa Monica through its work with Pacific Park on the Pier and employees whose children participate in Boys and Girls Club programs.
Co-founder Steve Sheldon said the initiative was also motivated by recent wildfires that affected surrounding communities.
“We watched, as the whole community did, as everyone was devastated by the fires, and just sat thinking, ‘What can we do?’” Sheldon said. “This was an opportunity to hopefully deliver some hope, fun, excitement and to foster creativity.”
The donated supplies include crayons, markers, sketch pads and even some spray art kits, which came with their own safety warnings. Many of the items were sent home with students, while others will be used in art programs and competitions throughout the school year.