Generous community members across southeastern Wisconsin donated $52,844 to support the 2026 ‘WISN 12 Day of Giving Class Act School Supply Drive.’ As a result, thousands of students in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties will have essential classroom supplies.
The 13th annual fundraising campaign is made possible through an ongoing partnership between WISN 12 and The Salvation Army.
“So many of our students will now have the foundation they need to start off the school year,” said Shawn Oswald, President and General Manager of WISN 12. “We’re grateful to our community for making such a meaningful difference.”
Donations for the “WISN 12 Day of Giving Class Act School Supply Drive” were collected online, via text, and through a phone bank on Aug. 18, with financial contributions matched up to $10,000. The drive also benefited from the energy and support of volunteers from MPS, Amazon, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Franklin Lioness Club, and the Salvation Army.
“Every single year our viewers ensure that these students have what they need,” Oswald said. “We all recognize the power of community through the power of giving.”
The money raised means that more than 2,100 backpacks will be stuffed with supplies ahead of the upcoming school year. Essential items including notebooks, folders, highlighters, pens, pencils, markers, and crayons will be distributed to area students who need them most.
Established in 2013, the annual campaign has collected more than $729,411 in donations. This amounts to approximately 39,879 backpacks stuffed with supplies to benefit disadvantaged students in southeastern Wisconsin.
