Julius Marks, Rosa Parks win $10,000 for technology

Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Friday, September 23, 2011

Gallery (click any photo to view the gallery)
Sherry Smith, a first-grade teacher's assistant at Julius Marks Elementary, submitted this photo for the contest. Connie Martin, a SAFE teacher (left); Mary Byrne, a second-grade teacher’s assistant; and Smith organized a walk-a-thon that raised about $10,000 to help with a colleague's medical bills. "She was one to go out of her way to help others, no questions asked, and gave out daily hugs to all of her students. Even throughout her cancer treatments, she never missed a day of school," Smith recalled.

Sherry Smith, a first-grade teacher's assistant at Julius Marks Elementary, submitted this photo for the contest. Connie Martin, a SAFE teacher (left); Mary Byrne, a second-grade teacher’s assistant; and Smith organized a walk-a-thon that raised about $10,000 to help with a colleague's medical bills. "She was one to go out of her way to help others, no questions asked, and gave out daily hugs to all of her students. Even throughout her cancer treatments, she never missed a day of school," Smith recalled.

Sherry Smith, a first-grade teacher's assistant at Julius Marks Elementary, submitted this photo for the contest. Connie Martin, a SAFE teacher (left); Mary Byrne, a second-grade teacher’s assistant; and Smith organized a walk-a-thon that raised about $10,000 to help with a colleague's medical bills. "She was one to go out of her way to help others, no questions asked, and gave out daily hugs to all of her students. Even throughout her cancer treatments, she never missed a day of school," Smith recalled.Lisa Roberts, a parent at Rosa Parks Elementary, entered this photo of her children: (clockwise from top right) second-grader Ashley and triplet kindergarteners Casey, Danielle and Benjamin. Roberts used Photoshop to replace the marquee message. "We feel really blessed to be part of such a wonderful school community and wanted to express that and at the same time try to do something that would benefit the school," Roberts said.

Out of some 800 entries in Rack Room Shoes’ back-to-school photo contest, two of the five grand prize winners are from Fayette County Public Schools.

Sherry Smith, an employee at Julius Marks Elementary, and Lisa Roberts, a parent at Rosa Parks Elementary, designated their schools to receive $10,000 computer lab grants. Smith and Roberts will also take home MacBook computers.

“We know that behind each of these pictures is a wonderful, inspirational story to be told and are thankful that individuals in the Lexington community shared them with us,” said Jan Mauldin, director of marketing for Charlotte-based Rack Room Shoes.

Contestants submitted snapshots in late summer, and online voters chose their favorites. Roberts’ and Smith’s photos each received about 10,000 votes. The other big winners were from Tennessee, South Carolina and Louisiana.