Anonymous donor contributes $5,000 to education foundation

An anonymous donor has made a contribution of $5,000 to the Port Aransas Education Foundation, said Janice Roberts, president of the foundation.

The donation, which arrived Nov. 2, is the largest donation the foundation has received since the non-profit organization's formation in August.

"We're really happy," Roberts said. "Five thousand dollars can go a long way."

The Port Aransas Education Foundation seeks community support for the Port Aransas Independent School District with funding, enrichment programs and other support work.

The foundation's board of directors will decide later exactly how the $5,000 donation will be spent, Roberts said.

The board will periodically award grants to the district to pay for things that aren't funded through local, state or federal sources. That could mean purchasing computer technology, curriculum or teaching training, for example. Funds also could help teachers develop innovative programs that promote student achievement.

The foundation so far has accumulated more than $20,000 through fundraising efforts.

Foundation officials are planning a mass mailing of requests for pledges and donations soon, Roberts said. The requests are scheduled to be mailed Nov. 15 to about 2,400 mailboxes, most of them in Port Aransas, she said.

"We are going to go to the community and try to reach as many people as we can that have ties to Port Aransas," Roberts said. Each packet will include a cover letter, a pledge or donation form and a return envelope.

Foundation officials are hoping that folks will consider the education foundation when deciding to make a donation to a non-profit organization for tax purposes before the year's end.