NORFOLK, Va. – Even with students out of the classroom amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, there's still a need for education. Thanks to one national restaurant chain, more than a dozen local teachers received funding for their efforts to keep their students engaged during this difficult time.
To recognize the entrepreneurial spirit driving teachers to meet their students' distance learning needs during this difficult time, SONIC® Drive-In matched all donations to DonorsChoose on Teacher Appreciation Day, giving 14 teachers in Norfolk for a total donation of $1,373.
Through Limeades for Learning®, SONIC donated $1 million to public school teacher requests across the country on Teacher Appreciation Day on May 5, supporting their endeavors to provide students with essential education resources.
In Norfolk, exceptional teachers at nine schools were among those whose projects received funding. They include:
- Dionna Sexton at Academy for Discovery-Lakewood for the project "Tune 'em Up!"
- Erik Kohler at Academy for Discovery-Lakewood for the project "Overcoming the Technological Divide"
- Lauren Smith at Azalea Gardens Middle School for the project "XP - Pens"
- Lauren Smith at Azalea Gardens Middle School for the project "Virtual Learners"
- Martina Boone at Azalea Gardens Middle School for the project "A Project to Project!"
- Kristinia Gregory at Chesterfield Academy for the project "Peace and Calming in Our Room"
- Kristinia Gregory at Chesterfield Academy for the project "Art makes us happy"
- Crystal Bias at Crossroads School for the project "Pencils, Crayons, and More!"
- Crystal Bias at Crossroads School for the project "Come One, Come All, Books for All!"
- Kelly Kilgore at Crossroads School for the project "You've Got Mail!"
- Kelly Kilgore at Crossroads School for the project "We've Got the Write Stuff"
- Kelly Kilgore at Crossroads School for the project "Order in the Classroom!"
- Kelly Kilgore at Crossroads School for the project "Organization Is the Key to Success"
- Karen Blanton at Jacox Elementary School for the project "Building a Stronger Literacy Foundation"
- Lisa Threatt at Jacox Elementary School for the project "A Book a Day Keeps Illiteracy Away!"
- Cynthia Reed at James Blair Middle School for the project "Interactive Notebooks for Math6"
- Audrey Williams at Richard Bowling Elementary School for the project "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
- Sabrina Wahid at Richard Bowling Elementary School for the project "Fortnite Battle Royale"
- Alicia Pierce at Suburban Park Elementary School for the project "Molding Model Citizens"
- Kristina Hanson at Willard Model Elementary School for the project "Distance Learning Kinders"
"Teachers across the country face new and complex challenges to keep their students learning right now," said Christi Woodworth, Vice President for Public Relations for SONIC. "As we continue to celebrate teachers this Teacher Appreciation Month, we sincerely thank educators like those in Norfolk, who are creatively keeping their students learning even as schools are closed. With SONIC's $1 million donation match, we were able to help teachers obtain resources for their students and will continue to empower them throughout the year."
SONIC is committed to helping teachers not only in this time of need but all year long. Through Limeades for Learning, SONIC has donated $16.6 million to public school teachers, helping more than 21,000 teachers and impacting more than 5.4 million students in public schools nationwide since 2009. Click here to learn about future funding opportunities and explore public school teacher requests in the Norfolk community in need of support.
