Lawhon Elementary students celebrate raffle ticket sales efforts

More than $15,000 raised during Disney raffle ticket sales

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Students at one Tupelo elementary school have reason to celebrate.

They have raised a huge amount of money through raffle ticket sales.

For weeks students at historic Lawhon Elementary sold five-dollar raffle tickets, for a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Disney World.

Those raffle ticket sales raised more than 15 thousand dollars.  Teachers whose classes sold the most tickets were pied in the face, by their top-selling students.

And there was dancing.

Jase McRae sold more than 800 dollars in raffle tickets,  tops in his school.

“Me and my momma mostly worked together and my momma had tons and tons of friends, so they kept saying, give me some tickets, I will buy them,” McRae said.

Although there is nothing definite yet, all the money will go to Lawhon Elementary and some of that money could be spent right here on the playground.

“So we have some things in order, line, as far as beautification around the school, we have some dated areas, like signs, we might look at some shaded areas for recess, outside classrooms and just a place where we can congregate and have some fun,” said Principal Ian Shumpert.

And even those teachers who took a pie to the face say they are amazed at the fundraising skills of their students.

“We have a wonderful PTO, they really take care of us and do lots of things to benefit our students, we are so thankful for them,” said Leah Carpenter, a Lawhon teacher.

“I’m very proud of our students for raising so much money, we’re very excited to see where the money goes and what happens,” said Hannah Houston, a Lawhon teacher.

The Lawhon PTO organized the Disney raffle fundraiser.

Top-selling students received gift cards for their efforts.