Girl Scout Crayonathon

“Our Girl Scout Troop 50204 of junior high girls was so excited when we started this project back in May/June when we collected crayons from area schools and libraries. We estimate that we collected just over 200 pounds of crayons. The girls then sorted out the whole, good crayons that could be given to underprivileged children. The remaining crayons were then sorted by color and peeled which was done over the summer months as this was the most time consuming aspect of the project.
Finally after visiting SCARCE in September, they we able to learn the process from Sandy, and were thrilled to be finally turning the crayon pieces into SuperCrayons for handicapped children. Sandy graciously let us borrow her equipment so that we could have a “crayon-a-thon” in our leader’s garage. Between Thursday, October 6 and Sunday, October 9, 2011, our crayon factory was open for about 25 hours, and in that time, our troop of 5 girls and 2 leaders made a whopping 1,168 SuperCrayons!!!! We are so proud of all their hard work! Thank you so much!!!”

Crayon Volunteers

Volunteers sort the crayons and melt them to make SUPER Crayons.

We’ve been fortunate to have dedicated volunteers to help with this. We remember Hank the “Crayon Man” sorted crayons for many years and we’ve had scouts make crayons for their; Eagle Scout Projects. If you are interested in helping, here are some guidelines:

Collecting and sorting crayons is a great project for volunteers of any age. Crayons can be collected and sorted at home by younger children or scout troops. At the SCARCE location, only high school and older volunteers are allowed.
Due to the heat needed to melt the crayons, those making Super Crayons need to be high school age or older.
Once the SUPER crayons are made, smoothing them requires time, patience, and carving skills.

If you have a group that is interested in making Super Crayons, call us at 630-545-9710 or send us an email at [email protected] to schedule a time. Tue evenings and Sat mornings work the best. Be sure to wear old clothes and closed-toe shoes.Note: Volunteers must be at least 14 years old.

Crayon Sorting Instructions

Separate almost new, whole crayons and bring them to SCARCE. DO NOT PEEL WHOLE CRAYONS. These crayons can be reused by students.
Sort the remaining crayon pieces by color and place them into bags or containers.
Peel the crayon pieces and place them back into their bags or containers. Keep like colors together.
Discard the peeled paper.
Bring all crayons to SCARCE. If you are 14 and older, you can help us make Super Crayons!