by Marianne Gasaway
Crayons aren’t just for coloring. For creative guys like Sean Morgan, they can provide fun — and some much needed funding for school art programs.
Becky Brandt, an art teacher in the Clear Lake School District received a special surprise from Morgan just before the holiday break. The 2002 Clear Lake High School graduate, who now lives in Ventura, stopped by to deliver a $500 check. Brandt, who had Morgan as a student years ago, shared a colorful tale about how Morgan raised the money for his alma mater. And it begins with a blue crayon.
“My favorite is blue,” said Morgan. “And one time I saw a big blue crayon in the background of a show I was watching with my girlfriend and thought it was cool. I later saw one on Amazon and when I mentioned to her that I could get one for $20, she just said ‘no.’ One day I threw a post on Facebook saying ‘Lisa won’t let me have a big blue crayon’ and the whole thing took off. It was really just a way to constantly poke a stick at my girlfriend about saying no to the big blue crayon, but it took on a life of its own.”
“The blue crayon revolution” was launched when some of Morgan’s Facebook friends jokingly started sending him blue crayons, blue crayon stuffed toys, and more.
“His collection was growing and it was a hoot to see what he would get next,” said Brandt, who is one of Morgan’s Facebook friends. “I even painted him a watercolor painting of a single blue crayon.”
Morgan came up with an idea to give back and keep the fun going.
Previously, he had found a way to give back to his son’s teacher’s classroom and he looked at the blue crayon revolution as a way to keep the momentum up with other projects. He announced that when anyone sent him a blue crayon, he would donate $3 to the Clear Creek Art Room.
Hundreds responded and, as promised, Morgan delivered on his promise to donate to the school’s art department.
The blue crayon revolution has wrapped up, but Morgan said he will be thinking of another cause he and others can support in 2023 in a fun way.
