MASCARO “RESPECT PROGRAM” AWARDS $18,000 IN EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND ANNOUNCES STUDENT POSTER CONTEST WINNERS





Friday, June 17, 2011, was a special evening for the Mascaro RESPECT Program, an interactive educational program developed by J.P. Mascaro & Sons three years ago and presented annually to more than 25,000 area elementary school students to make them aware of the importance of respect in their lives, including respect for the environment.

At a celebration dinner held at the J.P. Mascaro & Sons corporate headquarters building in Audubon, the RESPECT Program awarded almost $18,000 in educational grants to 8 different elementary schools for innovative educational initiatives related to character education.  This group of grants follows the $12,000 of grants awarded by the RESPECT Program in February 2011.

Receiving RESPECT Program grants at the June 17th celebration dinner were the Cayuga Elementary School in Philadelphia, $4,960; the St. Agnes Elementary School in Philadelphia, $3,225; the St. John Vianney Elementary School in Allentown, $5,000; and the Blessed Virgin Mary Elementary School in Darby, $1,260.  Also sharing in a $3,250 grant were the Bridgeport Elementary School in Upper Merion, the Lincoln and Rupert Elementary Schools in Pottstown, and the Highland Elementary School in Abington.

Representatives of the selected elementary schools were presented their grant checks by Lindsay Mascaro, the RESPECT Program Coordinator and the company Director of Education and Community Relations.  Ms. Mascaro said, “The grant applications are getting more and more impressive and the grant winners are most certainly deserving.  Our company and the RESPECT Program which I head, feel privileged to be able to support quality educational initiatives for elementary school children”.  

Also attending the celebration dinner with their family members were the 12 area elementary students who were winners in the RESPECT Program “Poster Contest”.  Almost one hundred 2nd thru 5th grade students participated in the contest.  The Grand Prize Winner, Skylar Winters, an extremely talented 3rd grader from the Quakertown Elementary School, received a laptop computer.

The winners of the Philadelphia Zoo and Franklin Institute Family Memberships were Eleeja Robinson of the Lincoln Park Elementary School and Jessica Geosits of the St. Ignatius of Loyola Elementary School.  The other award winners from the Norristown, Upper Merion, Abington, Central Bucks, Owen J. Roberts, Wilson, Allentown and Philadelphia area school districts were Kenya Butler, McKinley Bandy, Jake Silverman, Patricia Hauck, Ainslee Ashton, Mallory Reiter, Anna Reedy, Ellie Chibirka and Z’sakina Jackson.

Speaking about the contest and the winners, Lindsay Mascaro said, “Our RESPECT Program Poster Contest is very popular with the students and each year I am amazed with the content and quality of the posters.  This year was no exception”.

From September to June this school year, the Mascaro RESPECT Program has been presented at 142 locations to over 26,000 elementary school students, and during this summer the Program will be presented to 42 youth camps.