Princeton Schools PTO, 70 Businesses Partner To Raise Funds

Princeton NJ

25 March, 2021

11:16 AM

Description

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton Perks, the discount card program started by the Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs) of four elementary schools in Princeton has now expanded to include Princeton Unified Middle School (PUMS), Princeton High School, Princeton Charter School and 70 local businesses. Back in February, PTOs from Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, and Riverside created a discount card program to help close fundraising gaps and boost shopping and dining around town. Read More Here: Princeton Elementary School PTO Launch Program To Help Local Biz Over time, the success of the program led to other public and charter schools in the township to join in. The list of participating business too has grown from 40 to 70. "Uniting the schools on this scale has never been done before," Sharon Litvinsky, vice president of Friends of Princeton Charter School said in a media release. "We hope that by bringing all our families together and inviting friends and neighbors to participate, that the united front will have a great impact on our local businesses." PUMS PTO co-presidents Veronica Foreman and Kim Marks said more investment in local businesses would create a "stronger tax base" and better-funded schools. "The [participating] shops and restaurants are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods and they have always supported our schools," Foreman and Marks said in a statement. The Princeton Perks card costs $25. It gives cardholders special deals from participating businesses through December 31. Anyone can purchase a Princeton Perks card, and select any school's sales portal. The website also features a list of participating restaurants, retailers, and details on specific deals. The Princeton Perks logo is also displayed in shop windows or near the register of participating businesses. The program is free for businesses — they do not pay any participation fee or make donations to the schools based on transactions. Each school's parent group will decide how best to utilize the funds they raise from the card sales. The Community Park school is donating to the Princeton Children's Fund to subsidize summer camps for students from low-income families, while Riverside has earmarked funds for spring educational programs and graduation celebration activities. Littlebrook will be using the funds to purchase materials for teachers, and supporting arts and cultural enrichment activities, and Princeton Charter is providing summer academic support programs and free attendance at the Hawks Camp for under-resourced students. PUMS is donating half of their proceeds to the Princeton Mobile Food Pantry, and PHS will use their funds to help low-income students attend the spring prom and participate in special graduation activities. "The pandemic has highlighted how central our schools are in surrounding students with a community of support," Shazia Manekia, PTO co-president at PHS said in a statement. "Beyond just academics, our schools have been providing critical resources for immediate needs from food and clothing, to more complex ones. Our PTOS have continued to work hand-in-hand with school administration and teachers to address the growing needs of our communities, especially during the pandemic, and tackle them head-on." To buy a Princeton Perks card and see the list of participating businesses, click here. Thank you for reading. Have a correction or news tip? Email [email protected] Get breaking news alerts on your phone with our app. Download here. Sign up to get Patch emails so you don't miss out on local and statewide news.