Taco Bell Donates $21,000 of Computers to Freedom Park Elementary School
AUGUSTA, GA. – Local Taco Bell franchisee restaurants, have donated $21,000 of computers, software, services and related equipment to Freedom Park Elementary School at Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Ga., on behalf of the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
The contribution was funded by Taco Bell and through donations made by diners at restaurants in Augusta and other Southeastern cities, as part of Taco Bell’s annual Let Freedom Bells Ring campaign on behalf of military families. All proceeds from the fundraiser go to the Armed Forces Families Foundation, a nonprofit organization that gives 100 percent of all donations to projects benefiting service members and their families.
“This will make a large impact on the children of Augusta and the military families at Fort Gordon,” said Dr. Frank Roberson, Superintendent of the Richmond County School System. “This will improve the learning experience for children, by giving them access to the latest technology.”
The donation includes 24 netbook computers, each with Microsoft Office Pro 2010 and antivirus software. Setup, software installation and a cart for transporting the computers between classrooms also are included.
Representatives for Taco Bell and the Armed Forces Families Foundation will give a check for the project to the Richmond County Board of Education on Dec. 14. Computers will be available to students in January.
“We are honored that we can help support those military families that sacrifice so much, and ask so little. It has been great working with the Richmond County School System on this project,” said Thaddeus Foster, a member of the board at AFFF.
The improvements were funded through the Freedom Bells fundraiser, held each November, in which Taco Bell sells paper bell icons for $1 each with all proceeds going to the Armed Forces Families Foundation.
The fundraiser has raised more than $300,000 in two years, with support from diners across the Southeast. Proceeds go directly back to the participating communities. Ten Taco Bell locations in Augusta helped raise funds for the Freedom Park project, excluding the restaurant on Fort Gordon, which did not.
About the Armed Forces Families Foundation
The Armed Forces Families Foundation is a nonprofit organization that improves the lives of service members and their families. It has completed four major projects, at Fort Irwin, Calif.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and the Mayport USO Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
For more information, please visit: https://www.armedforcesfamilies.org/.
About the Richmond County School System
The Richmond County School System serves more than 32,000 students at 58 schools. The system’s mission is to educate students to become lifelong learners and productive citizens. Based on Fort Gordon, in Augusta, Ga., Freedom Park Elementary School has more than 630 students, in grades kindergarten through 5th.
For more information, please visit: http://www.rcboe.org/.
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