No local winners in US Cellular contest
By From staff reports
Published in News on January 8, 2014 1:46 PM
For the first time since US Cellular introduced its Calling All Communities campaign five years ago, Wayne County was not represented on the latest list of schools receiving money for education.
The 2013 contest came to an end before the holidays and when the list of schools with the most online votes was released, only four were from North Carolina -- two from Wilmington and one each from Havelock and Edenton.
The $500,000 prize money was distributed to 20 schools, each awarded $25,000.
Wayne County has been a consistent contender in the contest since it began.
In 2009, Brogden Primary School was among 10 schools in the nation chosen to receive $100,000. The following year, Wayne Country Day School became one the country's 10 $100,000 recipients.
In 2011, the winnings were divided differently, with $150,000 given to the school with the most online votes and $50,000 handed out to the next 17 highest vote-getters. Five area schools were among the 17, including Fremont STARS, North Drive and Tommy's Road elementary schools, as well as Wayne Christian School and neighboring LaGrange Elementary School.
Two area schools were $50,000 recipients in 2012, Norwayne Middle and Spring Creek Elementary schools.
Calling All Communities, an education-generated campaign, has been open to K-12 schools, public or private, with the concept of eliciting online votes from their respective communities. Schools are allowed to use the prize money however they choose.