My sister Karen teaches first grade in Toone, Tennessee, a small farming community in the county that recently attained the dubious distinction of being the fattest in the state.
I visit her at school when I go home, and the kids all know "Uncle Ken." I eat lunch with her at least once a year, and, in spite of the pitiful eating habits of the county as a whole, the Toone Elementary cafeteria ladies sling some quality hash. The school kitchen whips up healthy meals, and the teachers encourage good table manners and eating habits. Even so, it never hurts to add a little fun and competition to the equation, and that’s just what Del Monte is doing with its Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms contest.
For the second year in a row, this online contest encourages K-12 teachers to incorporate healthy eating and living messages into classroom activities. Sixty teachers will win $750 in cash to purchase school supplies and $250 in Del Monte fresh fruit coupons for classroom snacks and to use in fruit educational activities, ten schools will win a salad bar for their school, and many more winners will get a Del Monte Fresh Field Day event for their school in which the entire student body will enjoy a day of Del Monte fresh fruit, games and fun activities.
Winning North American schools will also be linked with schools in countries where Del Monte grows its fruit to help further the education of students by introducing them to another culture. Tropical schools will also receive $1,000 each for school supplies and improvements.
To be eligible to win, teachers must register for Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms online contest and then encourage all their fans to vote for them online. Ten winners will be selected each Monday for six consecutive weeks in October and November. Winners are based solely on the number of votes they receive.
So, spread the word! Tell all the swanky teachers in your life about Teacher Monday: Cash for Classrooms. "Like" Del Monte on Facebook and follow them on Twitter (@delmontefresh) to stay informed about contest news, download coupons and win prizes and fresh fruit gift certificates.
