Few things are more exciting than the first day of school. Except when a surprise assembly including a $20,000 donation kicks off day two.

That’s exactly what happened at Hazel Park Preparatory Academy, a PreK-12 IB school on the East Side of Saint Paul. As part of its Start Proud! program, The ODP Corp. showed up to Saint Paul Public Schools with banners, balloons, a DJ, and an incredibly generous donation to the school.

During the high-energy all-school assembly, students were surprised with new backpacks stuffed with their favorite school supplies. But that’s not all. The next surprise was for the school’s teachers: a $20,000 shopping spree at Office Depot OfficeMax for their classrooms with support from Boise Paper.

Lastly, Hazel Park Principal recognized Ethan Smith as the school’s All-Star Teacher, an honor that came with $2,000 worth of supplies including a new laptop, standing desk, desk chair and printer.

Students at Mississippi Creative Arts School will also receive backpacks. Saint Paul Public Schools would like to thank The ODP Corp. for their amazing support of our students and staff!