Duval County Public Schools’ Students Receive Ticket Donation to Attend the Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, FL - Select Duval County Public Schools’ students will have the opportunity to attend the 2012 Gator Bowl game between the University of Florida and Ohio State University. Ten students from Andrew Jackson, Raines and Ribault high schools, along with their coaches will receive tickets to the game on January 2.
This opportunity was made possible through the generous donations of several business leaders in the community. These individuals include Dr. Chester Aikens, dentist, Reese Marshall, attorney, Willard Payne, entrepreneur, Dr. Orrin Mitchell, orthodontist, Carlton Jones, contractor, Steve Grossman, executive director for Jacksonville Aviation Authority, and Charlie Gillette Jr., attorney.
“This is an incredible opportunity for the students that will reward and encourage dedication and commitment both on and off the field,” said Superintendent Pratt-Dannals. “It is essential that they can see where their dedication and performance can lead them if they stay focused on their future.”
The students that are going to be selected to attend the Gator Bowl are students who act as leaders to their peers and examples to their teammates. These students give 110 percent at practice, in class, at home and in the community.
“With all of the recent attention on our sports programs and on our athletes, we need to highlight positive opportunities such as this that will encourage all of our students to excel,” said School Board member Paula D. Wright. “Having this opportunity will show these students that the hard work they are putting in everyday is being recognized.”
The goal of this donation is to provide motivation for all students to focus on their academic performance on class assignments and tests and exert an equal amount of effort in their leadership development and team building skills.
“We hope that this small gesture would—in some small measure—show our support to those students who have worked hard to be excellent student athletes in both the classroom and on the football field,” said Dr. Aikens. “Hopefully this will inspire others to do the same.”
Duval County Public Schools operates 177 schools and serves approximately 125,000 students. The school district is committed to providing high quality educational opportunities that will inspire all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in a global economy and culturally diverse world.
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