Sonic donates $1M to teachers

As part of an annual recognition of teachers, Oklahoma City-based Sonic Drive-In is donating $1 million to public school teachers in its markets across the nation.

The donation is part of Sonic's third annual #ThanksTeach social media campaign to recognize, celebrate and reward teachers throughout May in honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, the company said Tuesday.

All month, Sonic will share stories on social media of real teachers making a difference in the classroom, and encourages others to join in and say thank you to important teachers in their lives by sharing the hashtag #ThanksTeach.

“Everyone has a teacher who has done something — big or small — to impact their lives for the better, whether it was one of your teachers or the teacher of a child in your life,” said Christi Woodworth, Sonic's vice president of public relations.

“Teachers play such a critical role in developing our children, but spend nearly $500 a year out of their own pockets to buy the supplies they need to do their jobs effectively," Woodworth said. "That’s why we started Limeades for Learning and why we’re saying #ThanksTeach by giving another $1 million to teachers for Teacher Appreciation Month.”

Since 2009, Sonic has supported and celebrated public school teachers through Limeades for Learning in partnership with DonorsChoose. org to provide teachers with essential materials for their classrooms. To date, Sonic has donated more than $9.7 million in financial grants to public school teachers.