MANCHESTER – The Manchester Township Education Foundation, otherwise known as the MTEF, has raised over $1,200 in their latest 50/50 ticket fundraiser.
According to their website, the MTEF “aims to foster community support for the Manchester Township School District in order to go beyond the limits of the regular school budget to provide our students with the best educational programs and equipment.”
Tickets were sold from December to February for $5 each at many Manchester events, including sports games, the vendor market and elementary level winter concerts. Each dollar from each ticket sold was put towards the jackpot, which would be split half and half between the MTEF and the lucky winner.
On Feb. 4, Rick Campana, the president of the MTEF, pulled the winning ticket alongside Manchester High School principal Dennis Adams at the high school basketball game. The winner was not present for the game but received a call from the MTEF financial managers.
From the ticket sales, which according to Campana were sold primarily within the Manchester community, $1,260 was raised. This made the winning number $630 for the MTEF and the lucky ticket holder.
“50/50s do well,” Campana said. “Our 50 will go towards mini grants and scholarships, things like that.”
The MTEF provides scholarships for graduating seniors each spring, entirely cumulated from fundraising and donations. Roughly $50,000 in scholarships is donated to Manchester’s seniors each year.
Along with the scholarships, MTEF funds have gone to grants for various teachers and schools across the district. During the 2022-2023 school year, the MTEF raised over $40,000 donated entirely to teachers and schools, according to their website.
“I’m very proud of the group that we have because we do a lot for the kids,” Campana said. “This is a core group that sticks together. We stayed through COVID and everything else so we can raise money for the students, which is the most important.”
The foundation has been raising money to support the students since their foundation in 2007, and, according to their website, has raised over $300,000 for students in a year-to-date cumulative total.
At the next Manchester Township Board of Education meeting, the MTEF will be issuing their teacher grants for the 2025 fiscal year. With funds from this fundraiser among others, there will be approximately $12,000 in grants.
