D70 partnership with Sunset Foods nets nearly $2,100
A partnership between Libertyville Elementary District 70 and Sunset Foods in Libertyville has brought an additional $2,067 into the schools as customers shop with reusable grocery bags.The program, #8220;Five for the Future,#8221; kicked off a year ago at the Sunset Foods store at 1451 Peterson Road. In the program, grocery store customers using reusable bags donate #8220;Five for the Future#8221; to Libertyville Elementary District 70 schools. For each reusable bag used for shopping, Sunset donates a nickel to the school district.#8220;We can't say enough about Sunset Foods and how they help our schools and district,#8221; said Superintendent Guy Schumacher.#8220;They have been tremendously good to us, given so much to our schools in-kind. They have the heart of a true business partner. Sunset Foods is very family orientated. They know our commitment to educational excellence and care about our children. I'm both honored and proud that we are going into our second year of #8216;Five for the Future' partnership.#8221;The $2,000 from Sunset Foods will be used in the District 70's Partners for Excellence in Education for teacher mini-grants that focus on the environment, #8220;going green,#8221; and recycling.Partners for Excellence in Education is a group of local business representatives who offer their time and financial donations to the district. This is the 16th year for the partnership's #8220;Mini-Grant Awards#8221; program, which has awarded $100,000 over the years for direct use in the classrooms.Sunset has been offering reusable bags for at least 20 years, said John Cortesi, president and CEO of the company. A member of the Illinois Plastic Bag Recycling Task Force, based in Lake County, Cortesi thought that if #8220;we teach the young people, the children to recycle, they will grow up knowing the right thing to do and impact the environment drastically.#8221;By tying the reusable bag use to a cause, donating 5 cents for each bag to a school system, #8220;it's a win-win program,#8221; Cortesi added. #8220;If we teach and educate the younger kids about the environment, we will create a bigger impact,#8221; he said. #8220;This is a great program.#8221;