Box Tops Bellwether Rings in School Year
11/01/2011
It was about three years ago when the PTO president at Dr. Pablo Perez Elementary, McAllen, TX handed Rosie Treviño a list of school volunteer opportunities and asked her to select the activity she’d like to lead. “I thought to myself, Box Tops looks like an interesting way to help the school. From then on, the PTO gave me free reign to build the program,” explained Rosie.
An inspiring grandmother, Rosie now reigns supreme when it comes to fundraising via the Box Tops for Education® program, taking her granddaughter’s school from a few hundred dollars in annual earnings to over $3,000 in a few short years. Any Box Tops Coordinator who has visited the Box Tops Facebook page knows Rosie for her encouraging words, wealth of knowledge, those resourceful answers to program questions, the wonderful photos and her invaluable tips and tricks. In fact, this fall Rosie was honored for her dedication to Box Tops for Education when she joined several team members in New York on September 2 and helped ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange as part of a back-to-school blitz.
“When I got the email from the Box Tops marketing team and they told me that my work had inspired them and others, I was beside myself and couldn’t even respond until the next day,” explained Rosie. “I’d never been to New York, and probably wouldn’t have ever gone if it weren’t for this opportunity. It was so much fun; it’s hard to put it all into words. I just keep thinking, WOW!”
Rosie has delivered many wow-able moments as Box Tops Coordinator. One of her finest is motivating children to clip and collect Box Tops – whether it’s contributing 200 or 2. “Kids love to help out,” Trevino said. “If you teach them to get involved in the school, they will be involved in their community. It’s also important to recognize every contribution – big and small. Don’t let the smallest donations go unnoticed; give them a certificate, a sticker, something to acknowledge their effort and keep them motivated.”
One of Rosie’s most popular ideas is her Box Tops Store. Stocked with in-kind prizes and solicited donations from local businesses, the store is a place where kids can redeem tickets they’ve earned by turning in Box Tops collection sheets. “When I go to the local businesses, I tell them we need to turn our kids into community helpers and that their donation will go a long way. Businesses are very generous, and the kids love going shopping. It’s really been a hit.”
Rosie’s also gotten the principal on board. During assemblies, the principal names those students who contributed to the school’s Box Tops earnings, and Rosie hands out special certificates or goodie bags. She also created a Box Tops sash, crown and wand for the highest earners.
Last year, the school’s earnings were allocated to help construct a new pavilion on school grounds as well as to purchase a die-cut machine and teacher supplies. This year, as Rosie is working to train in a new Coordinator, she said they hope to tie in the Box Tops Marketplace® and Reading Room. “The first few years, we really focused on helping the children and families identify Box Tops coupons, clipping the “official coupon” and redeeming them. This year we hope to start building the program even more.”
Rosie’s expertise has been noticed throughout the community, including at the school district level. During this fall’s annual parent expo, she staffed the Box Tops booth and helped spark more awareness among the 300-400 parents that stopped by her table.
One of her biggest fans, however, is her fourth-grade granddaughter. “Everywhere we go, she’ll tell people that I’m the Box Tops Lady,” laughed Rosie. “And I often have school children walking up to me saying, ‘Hey, you’re the Box Tops Lady.’”
On behalf of the Box Tops for Education team, it is a pleasure to know and collaborate with Rosie Treviño, a true champion for our children, our schools and our community.