OfficeMax of Raymore surprised the students and staff at Raymore Elementary School on Oct. 2 by awarding more than $1,000 in school supplies and gifts to teacher Heather Phillips. The award included flowers, a new desk chair, a digital camera, a laminator, laptop case, backpack and much more.</p><p>OfficeMax also presented more than $5,000 worth of school supplies for use by the entire school. The supplies were donated by customers and community members.</p><p>The presentation was part of the A Day Made Better program, in which OfficeMax associates surprise 1,000 teachers across the country in their classrooms with $1,000 each worth of school supplies &#x2013; $1 million total.</p><p>Phillips teaches special education at Raymore Elementary School. She had been nominated and selected as a finalist earlier this year for Raymore-Peculiar Teacher of the Year. Her nomination was forwarded to OfficeMax for consideration as part of the A Day Made Better program.</p><p>&#x201C;I can&#x2019;t believe this,&#x201D; Phillips said. &#x201C;Thank you so much. Thank you.&#x201D;</p><p>Dwight Crosby, store manager for the Raymore OfficeMax, praised the generosity of the Raymore community. &#x201C;We have the smallest store in our district, and we collected more donations (in school supplies) than all of the bigger stores,&#x201D; he said.</p><p>Principal Michelle Hofmann said that after the supplies were unpacked, the school would determine how best to distribute them.