West Haven Teachers Receive Huge Surprise On National TV

WEST HAVEN, CT — Teachers at Carrigan Intermediate School in West Haven received the surprise of a lifetime Thursday morning with the donation of more than $20,000 in classroom supplies and a $25,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card in a ceremony that was aired live on Good Morning America. The segment was part of Good Morning America’s Thankful Thursday and the teachers were led to believe that only one teacher’s project on DonorsChoose was going to be fully funded. The teachers, who were on the stage at the school’s auditorium for a morning assembly, each had a box in front of them and they were told the one with the balloons in box was the winner.

Then, after being informed that they were being broadcast live on Good Morning America, the teachers learned they were all winners after opening the boxes and balloons came out of all them. The curtains behind them were then opened to reveal the donated supplies, including books, laptops, tablets, art supplies and classroom furniture.

Carrigan Principal Rich Weber said he was “overwhelmed” by the donations in an interview with DonorsChoose.org on Facebook Live after the surprise was unveiled. (Watch the full interview at the end of this story).

“It’s amazing what my teachers do, so the idea that DonorsChoose can step in and reward them and our students, this is a game-changer in every way shape and form,” Weber said.

The surprise was part of the celebration for DonorsChoose.org’s #FirstMillion campaign, which was also announced on Thursday. That campaign celebrates that one million projects have been funded through the DonorsChoose.org platform, a major milestone for the 18-year old education nonprofit. In addition to the local surprise, DonorsChoose.org is matching 100 percent of donations to the site on Thursday to any of the 40,000 projects that have been posted by public school teachers nationwide. With the help of its generous donor base, DonorsChoose.org on Jan. 25 aims to raise more than $1 million for public school classrooms, teachers and students across the country.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this milestone with the teachers, donors, and partners who together have provided so many opportunities for America’s students,” DonorsChoose.org Founder and CEO Charles Best said in a press release. “These million projects represent a million moments where everyday people told teachers, ‘We’ve got your back.’ I'm so proud that DonorsChoose.org has become a community where teachers and their ideas are valued, respected, and supported.”

Best founded DonorsChoose.org in 2000. At the time, he was a Bronx history teacher looking for help buying copies of Little House On The Prairie for his students. Since its founding 18 years ago, DonorsChoose.org has raised more than $627 million for public schools in all 50 states.

Screenshot via DonorsChoose.org on Facebook