PHOENIX — More than a hundred teachers received $500 gift cards from Salt River Project and Cardinals Charities through a program called Touchdowns for Teachers.
The two organizations teamed up for the third straight year to give two teachers $500 every time the Cardinals score a touchdown.
This year, the Cardinals scored 52 touchdowns — the most since the program started a few seasons.
"It puts that funding directly in the hands of teachers and they can decide, because they're the experts, they can decide what's best for their classroom," said Kevin Rolfe, SRP's education representative.
According to Rolfe, the program has generated more than $140,000 and helped more than 280 teachers.
One of the teachers to receive the award was Tara Gleash, a kindergarten teacher at Lookout Mountain Elementary.
She told ABC15 "We are so appreciative, so thankful for all the support for Arizona education especially after COVID."
"There are so many needs -- social, emotional -- supplies these kids don't have and us teachers buy out of our own pocket," she added.
Teachers said they plan on spending the money on school supplies, new books, and other projects.
"So I'm super excited to fill my library with local, Arizona books and in the spring we release butterflies," said Gleash.
Officials with SRP said they plan on doing the program next year as well.
