Together with the community, the Mercer Island Schools Foundation raised a record $480,000 to retain teachers in the MI School District at its annual Breakfast of Champions. Thank you to our sponsors Boeing, HSBC Bank, Starbucks and the many wonderful Mercer Island businesses that participated. Thank you to our marvelous PTAs for spreading the word. Thank you to our wonderfully generous community!

The event showcased our dedicated educators in the Mercer Island School District, as well as students. Our speaker, Dr. Fred Mednick, MI resident and founder of Teachers Without Borders, highlighted the importance of teachers in every culture and in every corner of the world. Our teachers are the heart of our children’s education. Thank you Mercer Island educators for your dedication to making a difference in our children’s lives.

And, there’s even more good news. Thanks to a group of generous donors, there is now an additional $170,000 Challenge Grant that will be added to the $480,000 already donated if 1,200 families contribute to Bridge the Gap. Last year, 25 percent or 600 families contributed; this year, let’s get to 50 percent participation and add this additional $170,000 in our classrooms!

To those who have already participated in this effort, thank you so much. If you haven’t had the opportunity to participate yet, please consider a donation of $500 per child, but donations of any amount help us reach this goal. You can contact the MI Schools Foundation at www.mercerislandschoolsfoundation.com or by phone at (206) 275-2550.

Denise Hopkins

Ralph Young

Co-presidents, Mercer Island Schools Foundation