Gate City Middle School teacher Drew Vermillion (front right) stands with Virginia Lottery Deputy Executive Director of Communications Jennifer Mullen (front left) and Gate City Middle School staff and students after it was revealed that Vermillion was one of four winners in Virginia Lottery's "Thank a Teacher" program.
David McGee
GATE CITY, Va. -- A second-year math teacher became one of the first instructors from far Southwest Virginia to earn recognition from the Virginia Lottery.
Drew Vermillion was all smiles as he received a check for $2,500 Thursday through the lottery's Thank a Teacher program.
Additionally, Gate City Middle School will receive $2,500 in school supplies from the lottery and partner The Supply Room, said Jennifer Mullen, the lottery's deputy executive director of communications.
"We are always looking for ways to highlight and honor all the amazing educators across the Commonwealth. Through our Thank a Teacher campaign we encourage as many Virginians as possible to our public school teachers," Mullen said.
The presentation came in front of the faculty and students, including his students, during a surprise assembly in the school gym.
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Vermillion was one of four teachers selected statewide and names were drawn from more nearly 25,000 submissions.
Teachers across the state received some 200,000 thank you notes. Teachers could use a unique web code on the note to enter for a chance to win the grand prize.
"This is the only recipient from Southwest Virginia. Each year when we do the random drawing we try to take all four corners of the state - north, south, east and west," Mullen said. "We were excited when we saw Gate City come up in the drawing. It's not that often we get the opportunity to get this far southwest."
Vermillion had no idea he'd won, becoming one of 22 educators recognized across the state since the program began.
"I'm very excited, very surprised," he said. "I always get excited when I see people give back to the school system. Essentially that's where it all started. It is absolutely awesome they give back to the schools."
The lottery turned over more than $934 million to the Virginia Department of Education, generated from lottery play, during the last fiscal year, Mullen said.
Localities receive funds to use as discretionary funding and programs like class size reduction, SOL algebra readiness, early reading intervention, according to the lottery.
Locally, 12 Southwest Virginia localities divided about $58 million during the current fiscal year, lottery figures show.
Twitter: @DMcGeeBHC
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