Pilot Pen Awards Jacqueline Norvell The G2 Overachievers Grant & Erin Manuel The Inaugural G2 Overachievers Student Grant

Founder of Los Angeles-based non-profit Brown Bag Lady and North Carolina student receive grants in honor of charitable efforts

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Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen)

Sep 26, 2018, 09:01 ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen) is thrilled to announce Jacqueline Norvell has been selected as the latest G2 Overachievers Grant winner, and Erin Manuel has been named as the inaugural G2 Overachievers Student Grant winner.

Jacqueline Norvell, 2018 Pilot Pen G2 Overachievers Grant Winner

Both Norvell and Manuel are true overachievers, going above and beyond to impact the lives of others in meaningful ways. Norvell is a full-time legal secretary, single mother and founder of Brown Bag Lady, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the city's homeless by providing meals, resources and compassion. Manuel, a 16-year-old North Carolina high school student, has been committed to improving health, education and nutrition programs in Haiti since she was 7-years-old.

"It's truly an amazing opportunity for Pilot Pen to play a role in identifying and supporting these two remarkable overachievers in their efforts to make a difference in their communities – and beyond," said Ariann Langsam, Vice President of Consumer Marketing for Pilot Pen. "We're humbled to present Jacqueline Norvell and Erin Manual with the G2 Overachievers Grant and the G2 Overachievers Student Grant. Both recipients demonstrate the power one person has to make a tremendous and lasting impact on the lives of others through service and compassion."

The search for these Overachievers began in 2017, when Pilot Pen and its G2 brand ambassador - writer, producer and overachiever, Shonda Rhimes - invited individuals to nominate someone who goes above and beyond their nine-to-five or classroom duties to improve the lives of others. After thousands of inspiring, handwritten entries were submitted and reviewed, Pilot Pen and Rhimes selected the Grand Prize winners.

Norvell started her efforts to help the homeless in December 2012, when she used her Christmas bonus to purchase, prepare and hand-deliver turkey dinners to the homeless on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles. By 2014, she had solidified her mission, and "Brown Bag Lady" was born.

On the first Sunday of every month, Norvell and her team meet in her kitchen, prepare more than 200 brown bag meals and distribute to the city's homeless community. Jacqueline has made and delivered over 50,000 brown bag meals to date, along with clothing, blankets, shoes, tents and other necessities, often customized to fit individuals' needs.

Norvell plans to use her $50,000 G2 Overachievers Grant to expand the reach and impact of Brown Bag Lady by opening a long-term homeless shelter where people can sleep and feel more at home.

Like Norvell, Manuel, the student grant recipient, is also a humanitarian who sets an example in overachievement. In 2010, when Manuel was just 7-years-old, she heard about the earthquake that devastated Haiti, and donated all the money from her piggy bank – $3.08 – to relief efforts. She knew that wasn't enough and began raising money via grassroots efforts – selling hand-crafted bookmarks, photography and sculptures at a local farmers market. Now 16-years-old, Manuel has raised $16,000 (and growing) to provide aid for health, education and food programs in Haiti.

In order to continue supporting and rewarding everyday acts of overachievement, Pilot is honored to announce the 2018 G2 Overachievers Grant and G2 Overachievers Student Grant. The $50,000 G2 Overachievers Grant is awarded to one exceptional individual who goes above and beyond the call of their everyday career to give back to their community in unique and impactful ways. The G2 Overachievers Student Grant celebrates one exceptional young scholar (aged 13 to 19, middle or high school) who is making a difference in the lives of others outside the classroom, with $12,500 to further their education and continue their good works and $2,500 to support their school. Entrants for both Grants must submit 1,000 to 2,500 handwritten words expressing how they or someone they know is overachieving and making the world a better place. Submissions for the G2 Overachievers Grant will be accepted through October 31, 2018, while G2 Overachievers Student Grant submissions will be accepted through December 31, 2018.

In order to achieve their goals - both big and small - overachievers like Norvell and Manuel select the best tools, like the Pilot G2, to help them make their mark and continue writing the next chapters in their stories. The G2 is America's longest lasting, smooth writing, #1 selling gel ink pen, and is the ideal pen for the everyday overachiever – whether they are designing a homeless shelter or penning a business plan. G2 is available in four point sizes and 15 colors, offering unlimited options for customization and self-expression. To learn more about Norvell, Manuel, and how you can enter yourself or someone you know to the 2018 G2 Overachievers Grants, visit http://www.G2Overachievers.com.

ABOUT PILOT CORPORATION OF AMERICA
Pilot Pen offers superlative writing instruments renowned for quality, performance, cutting-edge technology and consumer satisfaction. Widely acknowledged as an innovator, Pilot was first to introduce Americans to fine-point writing, and currently maintains the top share position in the gel and rolling ball pen categories. Pilot's line of acclaimed products includes the G2 Gel Ink, Precise V5 Rolling Ball and FriXion Erasable Pen lines, as well as Acroball Advanced Ink Ballpoint Pens and the ergonomic Dr. Grip family of products. Pilot Pen manufactures and distributes from its state-of-the-art facility in Jacksonville, Florida; its parent company is the oldest and largest manufacturer of writing instruments in Japan. For more: www.pilotpen.us.

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SOURCE Pilot Corporation of America (Pilot Pen)