Got milk? Champlain Elementary sure does, more than any school in New England
Burlington Free Press
Published: Friday, December 8, 2006
Free Press staff report
Champlain Elementary School is the winner of the Sox Tops For Kids contest, the school announced this afternoon. Champlain’s prize is future visit by a member of the Boston Red Sox, to be named later, gym teacher and Sox fanatic Tammy Charbonneau said.
The 295-student school on Pine Street in Burlington took first place in the New England-wide contest, sponsored by Hood Milk and Red Sox Kid Nation, in which students from hundreds and hundreds of schools collected Hood milk bottle tops decorated with the Sox Tops for Kids logo. Champlain collected 35,687 bottle taps — or 121 per student — from May 15 through Oct. 31.
“Our school community is just incredible,” Charbonneau said. “And we just rallied together. Never underestimate the power of a community.”
Many Champlain families set up drop boxes to collect Sox tops outside their homes, Charbonneau said. Starbucks pitched in and donated its tops to the school. Champlain posted a sign on the front door with a running tally of Sox tops. Students counted the tops during school activities and physical education class.
Charbonneau, 44, has taught gym at Champlain for 20 years. When she learned today that her school won the contest, she was overcome with excitement and joy. “I fell on the floor,” she said. “I sobbed and hyper-ventilated and cried.”
The school will also receive 5 cents per top, or about $1,780.00. It will be used to get something permanent for the kids, Charbonneau said.
When asked what amazed her more, the Red Sox 2004 World Series victory or her school beating the competition across New England, Charbonneau thought for a moment.
“I guess I have such faith in the community that I serve,” she said, “it’s more amazing that the Red Sox won the World Series.”
The contest was judged on a per-student basis. For information and a list of participating schools, http://www.hphood.com/promos/SoxTops/ .
