Four Peaks is giving away free school supplies to teachers

PHOENIX — Four Peaks Brewing Company is giving away kits full of necessary school supplies to teachers across Arizona as part of their Four Peaks for Teachers nonprofit annual giving program.

Marketing Director Trevor Needle explained the brewery started the charity initiative 13 years ago when one of their founders, Jim Scussel, overheard a couple of teachers drinking at the bar talking about how they have to pay for some school supplies out of their own pockets. According to the National Education Association, 94% of teachers in the U.S. pay for school supplies using their own money.

“We decided to come up with Four Peaks for Teachers, a program where we essentially build teacher supply kits full of all the gear and supplies that they need. And we also do teacher grants to help them as well,” Needle said.

Needle said they sought feedback from teachers to find out exactly what supplies they’re spending their own money on.

“Those things range from ballpoint pens, erasers, the highly-coveted dry erase markers, pencils, pens. Everything that they need both for themselves and for their students, that’s what we try to put into these kits,” Needle said. The kits also include coupons for deals at local businesses.

Teachers can stop by Four Peaks in Tempe at 1340 E. 8th St. from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday to receive a free teacher supply kit by showing their teacher ID.

There will be another opportunity for teachers to nab some free school supplies next Tuesday, June 18. There are ten more locations throughout Arizona holding teacher supply drives this summer. Check online for a complete list of dates and times.

Four Peaks for Teachers has given away 50,000 teacher supply kits since it began in 2011.

You can also nominate a teacher for a cash grant on their website as part of their “Thank a Teacher” program. The grand prize “Teacher of the Year” will receive a $3,000 cash prize and catered lunch for their whole school. Ten runners up will also receive $1,000 cash prizes.

Four Peaks is also bringing back their peanut butter and jelly Kilt Lifter starting July 1st.

“Everyone knows Four Peaks for Kilt Lifter, but just in time for the summer and for our teachers, we make a special beer where we infuse peanut butter and jelly into Kilt Lifter. You think it sounds weird. It’s delicious,” Needle said.