As K-12 students return to school, the Illinois Lottery is supporting families and communities across the state by hosting a Back to School Supply Drive to benefit the Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance.
Adults (18+) who participate will receive a special thank you envelope with one $3 Illinois Lottery Instant Ticket inside for each school supply they donate, for a maximum of eight Instant Tickets, while supplies last.
The Illinois Lottery Back-to-School Supply Drive works alongside the Illinois Lottery’s long-standing support for K-12 education across the state. For every $1 spent on Illinois Lottery games, approximately 25 cents goes to fund K-12 education in Illinois. Since 1985, the Illinois Lottery has contributed more than $24 billion in revenue to help fund K-12 public school education in Illinois.
Those looking to donate can do so at two locations in the Springfield and Chicagoland area:
- Thursday, August 24 — 2760 N. Dirksen Pkwy. in Springfield, IL from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., in the parking lot of Walmart.
- Saturday, August 26 — 5630 W. Touhy Ave. in Niles, IL from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., in the parking lot of Walmart.
“We are happy to leverage our partnership with the Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance to help deliver vital resources to those who need them,” said Harold Mays, Director of the Illinois Lottery. “The Back-to-School Supply Drive promises to deliver a win for those students and families who participate in the afterschool program.”
The school supply gap is a persistent issue for families, and the need for donations has risen in recent years. According to AdoptAClassroom.org’s 2022 Spring Teacher Survey, 96% of teachers reported that rising costs were negatively impacting their classrooms’ access to school supplies. Due to inflation, basic classroom supplies like pencils and paper were up 40% and 60%, respectively, over their cost in 2020.
The Illinois Lottery’s Back to School Supply Drive is an extension of Illinois Lottery’s continued partnership with the Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance and another example of the Illinois Lottery’s commitment to education and communities throughout the State of Illinois. Efforts will support the Boys & Girls Club’s afterschool program, Power Hour, designed to help kids and teens achieve academic success through homework support, educational activities and tutoring.
“Boys & Girls Clubs across Illinois are committed to ensuring youth have the support they need to succeed academically, including afterschool activities that create safe spaces for students to be supervised, have fun, and continue learning,” said Awisi Bustos, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance. “We are grateful for the Illinois Lottery’s support of our mission, and with these supply donations, we will be able to make sure all of our youth are ready to return to the classroom.”
Local Springfield radio stations, WNNS and WQLZ, will be broadcasting live at the Springfield drive, and iHeartMedia station KISS-FM will power the Chicago drive.
For more information on Boys & Girls Club Illinois Alliance programs, including how Power Hour helps youth make commitments to school and learning, visit bgcillinois.org.
The Illinois Lottery reminds all players that lottery games are not for kids — never give a lottery ticket to a minor. For more information on how to play lottery games responsibly, please visit IllinoisLottery.com.
