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District 70 partnership with Sunset Foods raises nearly $4,600

A partnership between Libertyville Elementary District 70 and Sunset Foods in Libertyville has brought an additional $575.45 into the schools as customers shopped with reusable grocery bags last year.

The program, called "Five for the Future," kicked-off four years ago at the Sunset Foods store at 1451 Peterson Road. In the program, grocery store customers using reusable bags donate "Five for the Future" to Libertyville Elementary District 70 schools. For each reusable bag used for shopping, Sunset donates a nickel to the school district.

"We can't say enough about Sunset Foods and how they help our schools and district," said Superintendent Dr. Guy Schumacher. "They believe in giving back to the community and making a difference for our students. This is an exceptional business partnership. I'm both honored and proud that we are going into our fourth year of 'Five for the Future' partnership."

The $4,575 collected over four years from Sunset Foods is used in District 70's Partners for Excellence in Education for teacher mini-grants that focus on the environment, "going green," and recycling.

Partners for Excellence in Education is a group of local business representatives that offers time and financial donations to the district. This is the 19th year for the partnership's "Mini-Grant Awards" program, which has awarded $100,000 over the years for direct use in the classrooms.

Sunset has been offering reusable bags for more than 20 years, said John Cortesi, president and CEO of the company. He also is a member of the Illinois Plastic Bag Recycling Task Force based in Lake County.

By tying the reusable bag use to a cause, donating 5 cents for each bag to a school system, "it's a win-win program," Cortesi added. "If we educate the younger kids about the environment, together we can create a bigger impact. This is a great program."

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