!Orchard Park, NY– The Buffalo Bills and M&T Bank announced the second annual "Touchdown for Teachers" program finalists and grand prize winner during the Bills vs. Steelers game on Sunday, November 28th.
The five Touchdown for Teachers finalists are:
Ms. Bethany Maclam from Royal-Hartland Middle School (Middleport, NY)
Mr. Pat Coyne – Greece Olympia School (Greece, NY)
Ms. Jamie Casullo – Community Charter School (Buffalo, NY)
Ms. Jamie Lee Grant – New York State School for the Blind (Batavia, NY)
Mr. Chris Zemrac – Hamburg High School (Hamburg, NY)
The program honors teachers for their outstanding service to their schools and communities. The honorees were chosen based on their amount of involvement in the school or community, the degree of positive impact on the school or community and their demonstrated commitment to education.
The finalists each received:
- Two (2) tickets to the Bills home game on November 28th
- Official in-game recognition on-field during pre-game festivities on November 28th
- An official Buffalo Bills game ball
The 2010 Touchdown for Teachers grand prize winner is Bethany Maclam from Royal-Hartland Middle School in Middleport, NYand she will receive an in-class visit from a Buffalo Bills team member as part of his grand prize.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to partake in such a rewarding profession and would like to dedicate this recognition on behalf of all WNY teachers," said Maclam. "These men and women devote their lives to create a future that many students never dreamed possible; and as a result, thousands of students are destined for success. For several years, 'Make it a great day or not; the choice is yours' has been the mantra used to start each school day. Thank you to Royal-Hartland Middle School principal Mr. John Fisgus, the Buffalo Bills and M&T Bank for recognizing the work of WNY teachers and promoting the great days to come!"
"I believe that being a teacher and being involved in the education of students is the most important profession there is," said Fisgus. "Students today are the future of our world. Teaching is the giving of oneself everyday for the betterment of others. It is reaching every student you have, by any means possible, to make them successful and world-ready citizens. That takes talent, and extreme hard work. Not only do I salute our 6th grade teacher, Ms. Bethany Maclam, but all teachers who rise beyond the call of duty to provide our youth with the best possible education they can receive."
"So many teachers go the extra mile to help the students of our community and the Touchdown for Teachers partnership with the Bills is a way to recognize some of those outstanding teachers," said Mark J. Czarnecki, M&T Bank president. "Education plays such a key role in the future of our economy and quality of life in Western New York, and we appreciate the teachers who work hard every day to prepare their students for the future."
"We developed the Touchdown for Teachers program with M&T Bank last year to recognize the outstanding teachers in our region," said Bruce Popko, Bills senior vice president of business development. "This positive program provides our community with a fun way to honor those special educators that make us proud and confident to send our kids to school in Western New York."
M&T Bank, founded in 1856, is one of the top 20 largest U.S. commercial bank holding companies, with approximately $69 billion in assets. M&T Bank operates more than 800 branches and 1,900 ATM's in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. For more information, visitwww.mtb.com.**
