Sonic funds OKC school district projects

Michelle Kemery was beside herself.

The Britton Elementary School kindergarten teacher couldn’t believe her eyes when she found out Sonic Corp. was going to fund a nearly $1,000 classroom project to help improve reading and writing.

“I was just screaming,” she said. “The kids said, ‘Are you OK?’’

Kemery was more than OK. She was ecstatic.

Now she’ll have plenty of magic markers and dry erase boards to go around.

And the district teacher of 29 years no longer will have to tape together 16 pieces of copy paper to look like one piece of the big chart paper she ran out of.

That because she’s also getting a case of the paper, a $325 value. The paper is invaluable because it’s like a “big Post-it Note” and sticks to multiple surfaces, she said.

“I’m so grateful,” she said. “I’m happy and grateful the kids get to do so much more.”

Kemery wasn’t the only teacher to get some good news this week from Sonic, which regularly provides Oklahoma City Public Schools with much-needed funding for school supplies and classroom projects.

Representatives from the Oklahoma City-based drive-in chain presented a check for $109,000 to Superintendent Aurora Lora on Thursday at district headquarters.

The money will fund 157 projects at 54 district schools, Lora said.

“We are so excited to continue our partnership with Sonic and their Limeades for Learning program,” she said. “We are so grateful for this partnership and want to thank Sonic for their continued support of OKCPS.”

Each teacher with a DonorsChoose.org project received funding as part of Sonic’s annual #ThanksTeach campaign during Teacher Appreciation Month.

In September, Sonic surprised teachers at Martin Luther King Elementary School with checks totaling nearly $3,900.

In May 2016, 95 teachers were surprised by Sonic Chairman and CEO Cliff Hudson, who presented a check for $80,737 at school district headquarters.