10 schools benefit from Harris Teeter’s sale of winning lottery ticket
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| Harris Teeter presents $5,000 to 10 local schools Feb. 23. [Tara Rethore] |
The Harris Teeter grocery store in Barcroft Plaza has donated its incentive payment for selling a winning lottery ticket to local schools. Ten schools, including five in Mason District, each received $5,000.
The store’s customer service manager, Michael Donnelly, won the Cash4Life lottery drawing in January. He opted for a $7 million cash payout (before taxes). The store received a $50,000 incentive payment from the Virginia Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
Store Manager Jennifer Munoz presented a check for $5,000 Feb. 23 to these 10 schools: Columbia Elementary School, Belvedere Elementary, Glasgow Middle School, JEB Stuart High School, and Queen of Apostles School in Fairfax County and Barrett, Randolph, and Tuckahoe elementary schools, Kenmore Middle School, and Washington-Lee High School in Arlington.
“For the Glasgow Middle School PTA, this award is equivalent to one-third of our total budget. So, that money will make a big difference for our community,” says PTA President Tara Rethore. “And how fun: We literally won the lottery!”
Rethore plans to engage the community at the March 3 PTA meeting on how to spend this windfall. The PTA bylaws require a membership vote on allocating such a significant dollar amount that’s not already accounted for in the budget. Some ideas floating around include an expansion of the PTA’s new grants program for teachers, a community-building program of fun and learning for the whole family, and an educational program for families and students.
“Harris Teeter is proud to reinforce its commitment to education by donating its incentive payment to these schools,” said Harris Teeter spokesperson Danna Robinson. “We are always excited by this opportunity as it allows us to continue to show our commitment to the community and schools by donating the money back to our Together in Education partners.”
The Together in Education program provides funds to schools from customers’ purchases. Customers can register online and choose up to five school to support. A percentage of the prices of items from the store’s pharmacy and HT brands (including HT Traders, Farmers Market, and Harris Teeter Organics) will benefit those schools.
The schools awarded with lottery funds were selected on the basis of how many people linked their VIC cards to those schools. Randolph Elementary School is the third top Together in Education earner for 2015-16. Other schools closer to the Barcroft Plaza Harris Teeter, like Parklawn and Sleepy Hollow, might want to encourage parents to get involved in that program.
I'm so proud to be a shopper in this store and thank Michael for his generosity and community spirit.
Michael didn't generously give anything. It was Harris Teeter who did by donating the fee that they were paid for selling a winning lottery ticket. Strangely enough though it wasn't spread to all of the schools in the immediate local area. Too bad.
I Love love love Harris Teeter at Barcroft. We have been shopping there for almost 15 years. The quality of the product, the layout of the store and the people that work there are the BEST. But I am stumped. Why did Parklawn Elementary, which is virtually adjacent to this store, and in such dire need of support, not receive any?
Recipient schools were chosen based upon how many VIC cards were linked to the schools.
fantastic…$50K for community good deeds, who could not be excited for these gifts!
Exactly, Sarah W. Why did schools that are located near the other HTs benefit and not the immediate schools in the area of the winning ticket? It would seem that locals tend to shop at that store, so why not give back to the community (i.e. the local schools, not the ones miles away)? Seems strange.
Read the article and the other comments.
Annandale high school need donation too
Annandale High School NEEDS donashuns.
Hey, crazy thought, why not just be happy that a 4.5BB company decided to give money out to rather than moaning about which school didn't get money?
Thank you! It seems to me that some people just can't have a good day unless/until they've piddled in someone else's coffee.
I teach at one of those ten schools and now, I'm going to take a moment to be grateful to HT, Together in Education, and the parents, staff, and others in my school's community who took the time to do a little something nice for others.
KUDOS to Belvedere, Glasgow, and JEB PTAs for doing so much to encourage folks to link their VIC cards to HT. Perhaps the other local schools not included could get tips from these 3 schools.
Thanks HT. That is serious money.