Spotsylvania County Teacher Wins Virginia Lottery Thank A Teacher Prize

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA — A Chancellor Elementary School teacher was named a grand prize winner in the Virginia Lottery’s Thank a Teacher campaign.

Lori Truoccolo, a first-grade teacher at the Spotsylvania County school, was randomly selected from thousands of Virginia educators who entered the drawing using a unique code from a Thank a Teacher note, according to a May 28 news release from the Virginia Lottery.

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Truoccolo received $2,500 in cash from the Virginia Lottery and its partners, Brightstar Lottery and NeoPollard Interactive. Chancellor Elementary School also will receive a $2,500 credit for school supplies from The Supply Room, a program partner.

The Virginia Lottery and its partners surprised Truoccolo during a presentation at the school on May 27.

“Teachers shape lives in ways that extend far beyond the classroom,” Jennifer Mullen, deputy executive director of communications and customer relations at the Virginia Lottery, said in the release. “Through Thank a Teacher, we have the privilege of shining a spotlight on the educators who inspire, support, and empower students every day. Since the program began, Virginians have come together to send more than one million messages of appreciation, and this year alone, a record 225,650 thank-you notes were delivered to teachers across the Commonwealth. We’re proud to recognize Lori Truoccolo and celebrate the entire school community that benefits from her dedication.”

The Thank a Teacher campaign is held in conjunction with National Teacher Appreciation Week. It invites Virginians to send thank-you notes to K-12 public school teachers across Virginia.

Each note is available in print and digital formats and includes original artwork created by Virginia students through the annual Thank a Teacher Art Contest. The notes also include unique codes that allow teachers to enter the prize drawing.

Since the program launched in 2016, more than 1 million thank-you notes have been sent to public school educators statewide, and more than two dozen teachers have been recognized with prizes, according to the release.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 public education in Virginia. Spotsylvania County Public Schools received more than $19.7 million in lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year, according to the release.

In fiscal year 2025, the Virginia Lottery generated more than $901 million for K-12 education, accounting for about 10% of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget, according to the release.