Naperville, Ill. – Nearly 1,300 teachers across the country — including some in Hawaii — have been selected by their school's principals to be recognized as part of the OfficeMax 'A Day Made Better' nation-wide surprise events taking place today, a company new release said.

Educators nationwide will now wait in anticipation to see if they have been selected for a surprise visit from their local OfficeMax as the company distributes approximately $1.5 million worth of classroom supplies in surprise school visits throughout the day, according to the release.

The surprise in-school ceremonies are part of the office supply retailer's campaign to eliminate teacher-funded classrooms, especially during this time of extra economic burden on school districts across the nation. According to national studies conducted by the National Education Association, teachers spend nearly $1,200 out of their own pockets each year for basic classroom supplies – adding up, nationally, to about $4 billion a year, the news release said. In a move to provide some economic relief to teachers, hundreds of OfficeMax associates -- working behind-the-scenes with local school principals to ensure the element of surprise—will honor these teachers with donations of much-needed school supplies.

OfficeMax partners with Adopt-A-Classroom — www.adoptaclassroom.org — to identify schools and teachers across the country, including Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the Virgin Islands, for recognition of their dedication and innovative approaches to education on this one very special day, the release said.