In a heated race to the finish, Galax Elementary pulled ahead in the final hours of UCT Gives Back – thanks to a little help from the local TV station and a lot of love and votes from the local community.
All Linda Hunter, a teacher at Galax Elementary School’s Cooperative Care Center for Exceptional Children (CCEC) in Galax, Virginia, wanted when she and the school entered their video in the “UCT Gives Back” contest for $10,000 was a Smart Board for her classroom wall. Now that the school’s program has officially been declared the video contest winner, she can purchase her Smart Board and much more!
Galax Elementary School’s (GES) participation in the contest was rooted in the local community. Galax Elementary Assistant Principal, Sonia Truitt, pulled together a small group to create and submit the video. The entire GES student-teacher body and Galax community pitched in to generate votes for the program. Students, teachers and parents clicked in votes daily and shared status updates across social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. They distributed information cards encouraging community members to vote for the school at area restaurants. And local media outlets covered the program’s progress in the contest, alerting the community on how to vote. One local man was so moved by TV coverage of the GES program that he donated $600 to it!
Watch the news clip that helped make Galax Elementary the $10,000 winner of UCT Gives Back
Everyone at GES is amazed and delighted to have won the contest and are touched by the overwhelming congratulations from other contest finalists. But Truitt expressed her appreciation even before the school’s big win:
“I would just like to say thank you to UCT for offering this contest. Regardless of the outcome, this has been a great event and true blessing for Galax and the Twin Cities. Watching our students, staff, school system and entire community unite to support this program has touched my heart and the hearts of so many. God bless you UCT. You truly do give back.”
Thanks to all the schools who submitted videos and especially to the nine finalist schools. Congratulations, Galax Elementary!
UCT Gives Back
The “UCT Gives Back” video contest was launched in the fall of 2012 for U.S. and Canadian schools with programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities or universities with programs to train special education teachers. Nine 2-minute videos were selected as contest finalists and voting for the winning school took place on UCT’s Facebook page. Friendly competition was fierce to the finish on Feb. 15.
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