“Early Friday morning, teachers from across the Pine Belt lined up outside of Anderson Design Center in Hattiesburg as the company held it’s annual rug giveaway.
The event allows teachers to pick out a rug for their classroom free of charge. Rachel Williams, Mary Miller and Sue Ellen Lutsch are teachers at Central Elementary in George County who attended.
“I’m very impressed by how many rugs they have,” Miller said.
“Oh yeah the selection is great,” Lutsch added.
“The selection is wonderful and it’s just a great way to give back to the community,” Miller continued. “Teachers spend so much of their own personal money on things in their classroom and it’s just one thing we don’t have to buy.”
The giveaway started 15 years ago when the owner Mr. Anderson would offer free rugs to teachers he knew in need of supplies.
“So he couldn’t stand the thought of children sitting on cold hard floors and when teachers asked for a rug, we would get a bound carpet or if we had extra rugs leftover and they could use it for their classroom just for that purpose,” said Jennifer Davion, the marketing director for Anderson Design Center.
Now the annual giveaway attracts hundreds of teachers.
“I teach kindergarten, so it’ll be a great spot for my reading, my library center, you know a nice cushiony carpet compared to a hard floor,” Miller said.
“I teach math this year, but we’ll definitely get up out of our desks get down on the floor and work on some manipulatives and that kind of thing and make it exciting, make it fun,” Lutsch said.
At the event, employees help teachers pick out their perfect rug, hoping to add some warmth and comfort to classrooms across the Pine Belt.
Davion said she enjoys working the event….”
View the whole story here: https://www.wdam.com/2021/06/25/hattiesburg-company-gives-away-free-rugs-teachers-classrooms/