Teacher Wins Cherokee Educational Foundation Summer Contest

Staff Report

The winner of the Cherokee County Educational Foundation’s first-ever On the Road with CCEF Contest traveled more than 10,000 miles spreading its message of supporting public education!

Bascomb Elementary School teacher Kim Shotts on Friday, Aug. 8 was surprised with her prize for winning the contest, which encouraged Cherokee County School District employees to wear their CCEF 2014 T-shirts as they traveled during summer break.

Employees shared photos of their travels to foreign countries to visit loved ones and to learn (one teacher became engaged while traveling in Bhutan with her T-shirt), as well as images of educators visiting states across the U.S and staying home in Cherokee County to teach summer school classes.

Board President William “Billy” G. Hasty Jr. said he anticipated the contest would spread CCEF’s message across the country, “but we didn’t expect Australia!” he said, leading to a round of laughs from Shotts’ colleagues, who were present for the surprise.

The advertised prize was a $100 Visa gift card co-sponsored by CCEF Partner, Credit Union of Georgia, and Hasty. Inspired by the story of Shotts’ trip to Australia to visit her daughter who lives there, he made the surprise even greater by giving another $100 to her for a $200 prize. She entered photos of herself in the Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory (10,166.98 miles) and at Sydney Harbor (9,322 miles).

“I had to go see my baby,” Shotts said as she accepted her prize.

Hasty said the contest, which will be continued next summer, helped raise awareness about CCEF’s mission: to support students and staff of the district by promoting teaching and learning and celebrating achievements. The Foundation seeks funding and resources to enrich district schools in areas not fully funded in the regular school program.

“We are so honored to be able to do this work to raise funds that we put directly into the schools to help the students,” said Hasty, noting that his father, former Cherokee County Superintendent of Schools the late William “Bill” G. Hasty Sr., inspired his passion for public education.

The Foundation, which was founded in the fall of 2012 at the suggestion of School Board Chair Janet Read, has donated more than $20,000 to the district through grants to teachers, schools and programs and scholarships to students.

The next CCEF fundraiser is its annual golf tournament, which is on Sept. 30 at Woodmont Golf & Country Club. Sponsors, silent auction items and foursomes are needed. For information, visit the foundation’s website.

(Photo: From left to right, Cherokee County Educational Foundation Secretary Amanda Arnold of Credit Union of Georgia, ‘On the Road with CCEF’ contest winner Bascomb Elementary School teacher Kim Shotts and CCEF Board President William “Billy” G. Hasty Jr. Looking on is Bascomb Elementary School Principal Ruth Flowers. Cherokee County Educational Foundation)