The Morton School of Excellence will be one of the lucky winners in the Illinois Lottery’s annual volunteerism program, Raise a Hand, which seeks to support local schools. On Monday, Jan. 17, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held reopening the school’s new media center and library that will include art murals and new books organized by a dedicated team of community members including WGCI DJ Ramonski Luv, Ed Sanders (carpenter and host of “Extreme Home Makeover”), the school’s principal, teachers and parents. The official dedication on Monday will be attended by special guest recording artist and television personality Drew Sidora and DJ Ramonski Luv. The Illinois Lottery will also be on hand, giving out $5 book scholarships. The weekend of the national holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was chosen to inspire the students to follow their dreams through education and honor the legacy of King by participating in active volunteerism.
The Illinois Lottery is the second largest financial contributor to education in the state. It continues to find new and innovative ways to carry out its mission to fund and promote education. It plans to host 10 scholastic book fairs at Chicago public schools where 4,000 students will be issued book scholarships. This marks the Illinois Lottery’s 36th year. –bernard williams (story and photos)
