Cam Newton Donates $150,000 to Three North Carolina Schools

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sits with students Tuesday at Randolph IB Middle School, where he announced that his foundation would give $150,000 to be divided evenly among Bradley, Randolph and Thomasboro Academy middle schools. (Photo: Glenn H. Burkins for Qcitymetro.com)

The Cam Newton Foundation has donated $150,000 to three Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools.  The money will be divided evenly among Bradley, Randolph and Thomasboro Academy middle schools and will be used for activities and resources that boost school pride, the foundation said.  Newton, a second-year quarterback with the Carolina Panthers, made the official announcement in an auditorium packed with cheering children and teachers at Randolph Middle. He encouraged the students to stay in school and get an education, regardless of their career plans.  The donation was part of the foundation’s newly formed School Pride Program.

“As a kid, I remember school pride days being a big part of what made school fun and motivating,” he said in a statement released to the media. “I felt a huge void when those days ended. I believe students will perform better when they are proud of their schools, and ultimately, that helps our whole community.”

The principal at each school will get to decide how the money is spent.

Randolph Principal Jackie Menser said her school would use its $50,000 to establish an “interactive communication lab” that would allow Randolph students to interact with students who attend a sister school in Montreal, Canada.

“Our students here will be able to actually work with a teacher from another school, and their students will be able to work with a teacher here,” she said.

Laura Rosenbach, principal at Bradley, said her school would use the money for “student incentives and teacher appreciation” as well as to improve technology for the school’s literacy program. She said Bradley also would install a low-ropes challenge course so that students can work on unity and team building.

“It’s an incredible gift,” she said. “You just don’t get calls and gifts like this. To be able to get a gift where you get the authority and autonomy to do what you want to do to make your school better, it’s an incredible gift.”

The foundation worked with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to identify schools with diverse student populations and varying needs. The foundation will monitor the monthly progress of each school and has hired an outside research firm to measure results.

article by Glenn Burkins via qcitymetro.com