More than two dozen elementary schools in Florida and North Carolina will get some much needed relief and recognition thanks to The Loop Pizza Grill and its customers.
The restaurant is introducing the inaugural Loop It Forward campaign to help teachers and schools receive sorely needed funding, recognize hard-working teachers, and teach students the importance of paying it forward. The fundraising campaign begins August 22 and runs until September 30.
The idea for the campaign came from the fact that slimming school budgets often mean elementary school teachers use their own money to purchase school supplies for their classrooms. These out-of-pocket purchases usually go unseen, unrecognized, and unreimbursed.
The Loop hopes to change that for 26 schools. Diners can help fund their local elementary school and support teachers by donating in-store or online. The Loop will be donating an additional percentage of proceeds raised as well.
The restaurant will also sponsor a Teacher of the Month at each school throughout the school year. Each recognized teacher will receive a free meal, as well as meals for his or her family at The Loop. The teacher will be recognized on video boards in Loop locations.
Kimberly Dennis, principal at Fishweir Elementary in Jacksonville, Florida, says she is thrilled with the program.
"I'm extremely excited about the partnership between Fishweir Elementary and The Loop," Dennis says. "Our students will benefit from this partnership, and I look forward to the various activities that we will do together."
Mike Schneider, founder and president of The Loop, adds the partnership shows the restaurant's dedication to the community.
"At every Loop location, we work hard to be good neighbors. Many of our guests have children who attend schools in the neighborhoods we serve," he says. "We want to do all we can to support neighborhood schools and recognize the incredible and underappreciated teachers who positively influence our kids."
Below is a list of schools in Florida and North Carolina benefiting from the program:
- Fishweir Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Twin Lakes Academy Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Windy Hill Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Hendricks Avenue Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Crown Point Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- North Shore Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Southside Estates Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- R.V. Daniels Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Kings Trail Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Beauclerc Elementary, Jacksonville, Florida
- Grove Park Elementary, Orange Park, Florida
- S. Bryan Jennings Elementary, Orange Park, Florida
- Valley Ridge Academy, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Ocean Palms Elementary, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Julington Creek Elementary, St. Johns, Florida
- Durbin Creek Elementary, St. Johns, Florida
- Neptune Beach Elementary, Neptune Beach, Florida
- Emma Love Hardee Elementary, Fernandina Beach, Florida
- Southside Elementary, Fernandina Beach, Florida
- Mayport Elementary, Atlantic Beach, Florida
- Whitaker Elementary , Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Brunson Elementary, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Caleb's Creek Elementary, Kernersville, North Carolina
- Union Cross Elementary, Kernersville, North Carolina
- Ephesus Elementary, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Estes Hills Elementary, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
