Six Flags America Partners With World Vision to Collect School Supplies for “Annual Stuff a Coaster” School Supply Drive

Highlights

  • Guests donating six individual school supply items will receive half-price admission to Six Flags America.
  • Children in Title 1 schools in the Washington, D.C. area will benefit from donated supplies.

Six Flags America Contact:
Havilah R. Ross
301.867.0264

Upper Marlboro, MD (August 1, 2013) — Six Flags America is proud to partner with World Vision through their Bring It for Kids! program for the second year to collect school supplies for local children in need. All school supplies donated by Six Flags guests will be given to World Vision with supplies divided evenly between Title 1 schools in Prince George’s County, the District of Columbia and Baltimore City.

“Six Flags America is dedicated to our community and our guests,” said Rick Howarth, Six Flags America park president, “As the largest youth employer within the state of Maryland we feel it is the right and responsible action to help support our local education system by providing items that are key to a bright and successful future for many children. All the school supplies donated by our staff and guests will be used to help students focus on their studies building a better life for themselves and future generations.”

Guests who visit the park from August 9 – 15, 2013 and donate six (6) new school supplies, in their original packaging, will receive a half-price ticket to be used the same day of purchase.

Every year teachers provide school supplies for children in need with money from their own personal income. To help combat this deficit, Six Flags America partnered with World Vision because of their dedication to working with children, families, and communities. Bring It For Kids! is World Vision’s product supply drive program that gives groups and organizations a way to provide the most urgently needed supplies to schools and communities in the US. School supply drives like Stuff a Coaster are vitally important in helping children be successful in their educational endeavors.

“We are deeply concerned not only about what our staff is seeing across the country, but also by reports showing the US economic recovery is the weakest since World War II,” says Romanita Hairston, World Vision’s vice president for the charity’s U.S. programs. “It’s not uncommon for us to hear of children coming into classrooms without any supplies. As parents struggle to make ends meet, teachers, many of whom are already facing deep budget cuts, may shoulder a heavier burden for buying school supplies.”

Six Flags America has set a goal to fill an entire roller coaster car full of school supplies, roughly 2,000 supplies, and present them to representatives of World Vision on Friday, August 16, 2013 which is also National Roller Coaster Day. Guests who wish to participate and support the annual Stuff A Coaster School Supply Drive should bring their donations to the Front Gate at Six Flags America.

Approved school supply items include:

Pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, scissors, spiral notebooks, wide rule filler paper, dry erase markers, glue sticks, construction paper, colored pencils, one inch binders, dividers, rulers crayons and crayon markers.

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About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation:
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.1 billion in revenue and 18 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For more than 50 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions including up-close animal encounters, Fright Fest® and Holiday in the Park®. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com.

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.