Christmas came early for 113 students at Garyville-Mt. Airy Magnet School. Marathon’s employees and the refinery’s special project funds purchased supplies, and the employees stuffed school bags for the students at GMMS. “This wonderful project was in the making since this summer, and Marathon came through,” stated Principal Kelli Joseph.

The school bags filled with everything from binders, pencils, crayons, paper, and glue to band-aids, markers, and baby wipes were personally delivered by the Marathon employees. Each bag was labeled by grade level and contained grade-appropriate contents. Administrators, teachers, aides, and custodians helped to sort the bags according to grade levels.

The bags were then placed in carts and delivered to the students. Students at all grade levels from kindergarten to eighth grade were the recipients of the bags. Staff members helped to deliver the school bags to the students who were selected through a lottery system. This project had been in the works since the summer. Marathon’s Leadership Team and the GMMS administrators anticipated a potential need because of the economy. Part of Marathon’s special project funds and the generosity of the employees helped to purchase the necessary school supplies listed on the parish’s school supply list for each grade. A team of Marathon employees volunteered to pack and label the school bags. “This project would not have been possible without the support of Rich Bedel, Refinery Manager, and Bob Kasubinski, Human Resources Manager. They are very supportive of community outreach,” stated Josh Mallonee of Marathon’s Public Relations department.

“Isn't it wonderful when we experience the ‘S’ (Stakeholders) in our mission statement being fulfilled?” said Joseph.