[The Buffalo Bills and M&T Bank are proud to announce their eighth annual Touchdown for Teachers program, which honors local teachers for their outstanding service to their schools and communities.
"The Touchdown for Teachers initiative is one of the most important programs we do with M&T Bank," said Erica Muhleman, Pegula Sports and Entertainment's Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. "To be able to provide an avenue for the community to recognize outstanding teachers demonstrates the commitment that M&T Bank and the Bills have in helping to showcase the talent we have in this region."
Five finalists, one of whom will be named the grand prize winner, will be chosen based on their amount of involvement in the school or community, degree of positive impact and their demonstrated commitment to education. Educators must be nominated by the public through the application form at buffalobills.com/teachers no later than Friday, April 1, 2016. Finalists will be notified no later than Friday, April 15, 2016.
Each of the five selected honorees and a guest will be invited to a Bills private spring event where they will be honored and the winner of the 2016 Touchdown for Teachers program will be announced. The grand prize winner will receive:
- $2,000 in grant funds, payable to their school or district
- An in-class visit from a Buffalo Bills player or alumnus
The four remaining finalists will receive $500 in grant funds, payable to their school or district to further their impact.
"So many educators in our community go above and beyond for their students and school, and they deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication," said Jim Jarosz, M&T Bank Group VP for Retail Banking in Western New York. "We hope students, parents and school officials in the participating counties will take a moment to nominate an influential educator today."
Educators qualifying for nomination to this program are defined as individuals directly involved in the instruction and education of students, including but not limited to: teachers, guidance counselors and teacher's aids. School and district administrators are not eligible for recognition as finalists but are welcome to nominate educators for recognition.
Information and nomination forms are available at buffalobills.com/teachers. They can be submitted online, downloaded and mailed to Pegula Sports and Entertainment attention Sara Petrone at 199 Scott Street, Suite 200, Buffalo, NY 14204.
Teachers nominated must live in the following counties:
Buffalo-area:
Erie Wyoming Genesee Orleans Niagara Chautauqua Cattaraugus Allegany
Rochester-area:
Monroe Wayne Livingston Ontario Yates
McKean County, Pennsylvania
Ontario County, Canada
M&T Bank is the Official Bank of the Buffalo Bills and the exclusive provider of Bills checks and check cards. Further information about different fan contests and promotions through M&T Bank is available at www.facebook.com/mybillscard.
About M&T Bank
Founded in 1856, M&T Bank (www.mtb.com) is one of the 20 largest U.S. commercial bank holding companies, with more than $96 billion in assets and more than 650 branch offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
