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Schools

School District Tele-A-Thon to Raise Funds for Just for the Kids

Bensalem Township School District will hold a tele-a-thon on Sunday, March 10 to raise money for the Just for the Kids foundation.

Sometimes the school district's budget doesn't cover all of the projects a teacher might want to do in the classroom. This is where the Just for the Kids foundation comes in.

The non-profit foundation raises funds that go to innovative and exciting and educational enhancement projects in the classroom, according to President Ralph Douglass. The upcoming , is one fundraiser that the foundation is sponsoring so that it can fund these projects.

"Any of the funds raised goes into the foundations account and then as the projects get funded, the teachers will submit to us receipts and items they've purchased for reimbursement," Douglass explained.

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The tele-a-thon is an opportunity for all of the schools in the district to get involved. Every 30 minutes, a different school will be featured during the fundraiser, which will be broadcast live on the school district television channel.

The pledges made during those time slots are not dedicated to fund projects specifically for the school that took the pledge, as all funds will go to the foundation.

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"These teachers and staff are putting in a lot of effort. It's a mutual effort," Douglass said. "These funds are not directly pledged to the school. They go to the general fund and they [the teachers] support the effort."

In order to receive funds for a project, teachers submit an application to the foundation that describes a project, Douglass said. The applications are reviewed and evaluated and then "boiled down to a select few."

"These projects don't typically fall in the budget of a school district," he said.

This school year, Just for the Kids foundation funded 25 projects, including spelling bees, science fairs, reading programs and author talks.

"Some teachers have an author in [to] make presentations on a book they wrote, or [talk about] what it's all about to be an author," Douglass said. "We've also provided funds for materials for science fairs. If they need help with poster board and other materials, they can create the projects."

This tele-a-thon will the sixth since the foundations inception in 1996. Douglass said the last was held in 2004.

To make a pledge on Sunday, March 10, call 215-539-2422 or tune in to Comcast Channel 28 or Verizon FiOS 32 to watch the tele-a-thon.

The following groups and schools will appear live during the tele-a-thon:

1 p.m. Just for the Kids Board Opening 1:30 p.m. Cornwells Elementary School 2 p.m. Valley Elementary School 2:30 p.m. Belmont Hills Elementary School 3 p.m. Rush Elementary School 3:30 p.m. Shafer Middle School 4 p.m. Snyder Middle School 4:30 p.m. Struble Elementary School 5 p.m. Bensalem High School 5:30 p.m.  Faust Elementary School 6 p.m. District Office

The foundation will hold other fundraisers later in the year including a bowl-a-thon and a fun run and walk. Check for updates on those events by clicking this link.

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