CFP FOUNDATION’S BIG DAY The Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation teamed up once again to make it a BIG DAY for North Texas educators on September 14, 2021, awarding grants of $50,000 each to Urban Teachers Dallas-Fort Worth and Catch Up & Read, as a part of the Extra Yard for Teachers initiative. The $100,000 in grant dollars for Urban Teachers DFW and Catch Up & Read were unveiled in a presentation at Uplift Grand Preparatory School. The free, public, college-preparatory charter school located in Grand Prairie, Texas, served as the perfect backdrop to celebrate both organizations and provide the opportunity for in-person surprises for two well-deserving educators. Christiane Crawford-Gill, a sixth-grade math teacher and pillar of both Uplift Grand Middle School and Urban Teachers since 2017, was surprised just outside of her classroom with a special BIG DAY presentation for being steadfast as an educator and a mentor and host teacher for aspiring Urban Teachers. Gracie Pineda, media specialist at Cuellar Elementary and representing Catch Up & Read, was recognized for her dedication and teamwork attitude as a multitalented educator. Crawford-Gill and Pineda each received a $500 donor choose gift card and gift bag, courtesy of the CFP Foundation, and a backpack full of gifts and two tickets to the 2021 CFP Semifinal at the 86th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, courtesy of the Cotton Bowl Foundation.
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