McTeacher’s Night to benefit local schools

A fundraising event to help provide tutoring for students at Maggie Cordova Elementary School takes place next week.

The McTeacher’s Night fundraiser will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, at the McDonald’s on Unser and McMahon. Albuquerque Isotopes mascot, Orbit, will be on hand.

Area McDonald’s restaurants have teamed up with Rotary Club of Rio Rancho and Rio Rancho Public Schools to provide tutoring for K–5th graders through its McTeacher’s Nights fundraisers, according to a news release. In the fundraisers, the owner and operator of the restaurant donates 25 percent of all McTeacher’s Night sales from the threehour period. The fundraisers benefit four Rio Rancho elementary schools that participate in the Rotary Club’s Dick Hillier Tutoring Program. The schools are Puesta Del Sol, Maggie Cordova, Colinas del Norte and Sandia Vista.

The Rotary Club’s program is unique in that it uses the student’s own teacher as the tutor, the news release says.

“Parents whose children participate in the tutoring program notice how much confidence the children gain, which builds constructive learning patterns down the road,” Rotary Club of Rio Rancho member Beth Miller said.

Clemy Garza, the owner and operator of several Rio Rancho McDonald’s along with her father, Julian Garza, said, “We want to help this program continue to be successful by supporting these teachers who are making a huge impact in the lives of kids who would otherwise fall through the cracks.”

In April, the Garza’s held McTeacher’s Nights for Puesta del Sol and Colinas del Norte elementaries, and one on May 2 for Sandia Vista.

For information about the Dick Hillier Tutoring Program, visit rioranchorotary.org.