Box Tops for Education benefits Tyndall Elementary

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Christopher Reel
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Silver Flag Exercise Site and Army and Air Force Exchange Service have teamed together to raise money for Tyndall Elementary School through the Box Tops for Education program.

Box Tops for Education is a fundraising program designed and sponsored by the General Mills Corporation to assist schools nationwide with fundraising efforts. From books and school supplies to playground equipment and computers, America's schools have earned more than $320 million from the program since 1996.

The Tyndall Community is encouraged to donate box tops to help Tyndall Elementary School raise money.

"Last year Airmen volunteers collected 3,000 Box Tops totaling $300," said Staff Sgt. Thomas Ryan, Det. 1 823rd RED HORSE Squadron fire contingency instructor and project point of contact. "This year, donations spiked to 4,600 totaling $460 that were dropped off Jan. 25 at Tyndall Elementary."

The box tops can be found on an array of grocery and household products. Each box top earns the school ten cents toward supplies.

"All parents and students or Airmen volunteers need to do is clip the Box Tops for Education logo from specially-marked products and bring them to school or drop them in the Box Tops for Education stand in the Base Exchange entrance," said Libbie Pippin, Tyndall Elementary School principal. "Our Box Tops coordinator compiles all the submissions and sends them in to General Mills. The corporation then sends a check back to the school!"

This past year alone, Tyndall Elementary School has raised nearly $2,500 with this program. In 2009, the program raised $3,500. In addition, the Parent Teacher Organization updates a board in the school cafeteria that tracks all the monthly submissions of Box Tops for Education. The class that collects the most for the month wins a free ice cream certificate. All the classes have their monthly collections posted to the board as well, as a way of generating even more interest in the project.

"Our PTO board and its volunteers are doing such great work to help the students of Tyndall Elementary get the things they need to better their educational environment," said Pippin. "I am so proud of the efforts of everyone to give to this program, and from what I understand, Tyndall Elementary School has the highest submission level of Box Tops for Education of any school in our area."

"This program couldn't have happened without the partnership the Tyndall BX has formed with my squadron," Sergeant Ryan said. "My goal for this stand is not an amount, but instead to make a better future for the children."

For further information on the Box Top program, visit http://www.boxtops4education.com/.