NEWS RELEASE

February 26, 2008

For more information:

Mary Waggoner, 425-385-4049

View Ridge Elementary and North Middle benefit from Safeway program

View Ridge Elementary and North Middle School families were so enthusiastic about their participation in the

Safeway 10

percent Back to Schools Program

that the schools are among the 250 top-earning schools in the nation. As a result, Safeway

has given an extra $1,000 to each school, bringing the total grocery store contribution to $8,267.94 between the two schools

— $4,484.66 for North and $3,783.28 for View Ridge.

Many of View Ridge Elementary and North Middle families qualify for free and reduced lunch programs. "Meeting the needs for

basics is always a challenge," notes View Ridge principal Kert Lenseigne. "Paying for extras sometimes is just not possible.

Thanks to Safeway's program, we have additional funds for field trips and to buy much needed, new nonfiction books for the

View Ridge library."

With the Safeway funds, North Middle School sent a group of eighth-graders to Olympia to learn more about the state's

legislative process. "We also used some of the funds for our music department, for more library books and to buy new

uniforms for our wrestling teams," said North principal Kelly Shepherd.

Nationally, Safeway's family of stores has given more than $3 million to schools. We enjoyed working with the employees at

both the North Broadway and 41

st

Street stores in this process, said Lenseigne. "They truly are connected to these

neighborhoods and to the corporation's interest in supporting education."

More information about the Safeway program is available from Judy Pascale at judypascale@comcast.net.

everett

Page 1 of 1

http://www.everett.k12.wa.us/everett/2-26-08b

5/18/2009