By Johnny Jackson
jjackson@henryherald.com

Master Sgt. Lamar Powell, of McDonough, was among the 800 teachers assembled at Spalding High School in Griffin on Wednesday.

Powell, an instructor for the Spalding High School Army JROTC Unit, took part in the Fourth Annual Education Celebration hosted by Norcom, Inc., in Griffin.

The back-to-school event, held at the Griffin Auditorium, provided teachers in the Griffin-Spalding County School System free school supplies to help support those students who may not be able to afford school necessities, said Hal Rahn, president of the Griffin-based school-supply manufacturer, Norcom, Inc.

Rahn said he spearheaded the school-supply initiative four years ago in order to ease the financial burden on teachers, who often voluntarily provide school supplies to their students.

“We believe that a lot of teachers spend at least a thousand dollars a year making sure their students are equipped to be in a learning environment, and at least have the essentials,” Rahn said.

The teachers were able to select what they needed for their classrooms from donated supplies, which included pens, copy paper, pencils, notebooks, erasers, notebook paper, art and activity items, dry-erase markers, and crayons.

Rahn said many of the teachers who benefited from the event reside in nearby counties, including Henry and Clayton. However, he said, those who profit most from the event are students.

“It’s not where you live, it’s where you teach,” he said. “And unfortunately, a lot of children here aren’t able to have the necessary supplies.”

Rahn said many other businesses have joined the cause over the years.

The back-to-school event, he said, is supported by organizations such as the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Kids In Need Project, the Griffin Wal-Mart Super Center, the Griffin Rotary Club, Griffin-Spalding Education Foundation, Nickell Equipment Rental & Sales, and Georgia Banking Company, as well as Domtar, a paper company based in Montreal, Canada.

“That’s what made this event grow, people from around the country have been supporting this event,” Rahn said.