Congratulations to Tuskegee University for winning Bevis Elementary School’s Fly Your Flag Competition for the second year in a row. The school recently held a flag-raising ceremony to celebrate the Tuskegee victory. The Tuskegee University flag will continue to fly for the 2023-24 school year; it was also flown as the victor for the 2022-23 school year.
The Fly Your Flag Competition is an annual fundraiser for the Bevis Elementary Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) that takes place in spring of the school year. The premise is simple and operates similar to a GoFundMe. Students and faculty work together to get people to donate to the flags of their college alma maters. Participants pay $10 to add their college’s flag to the competition.
“The Fly Your Flag fundraiser has not only been a great fundraiser for its fun and competitive nature but also the opportunity it’s provided our students to learn the value of networking and teamwork,” said PTA President Amanda Winemiller.
Every penny raised through this friendly competition is put back into the school to provide teachers, classrooms and students with additional resources, which in turn support efforts to give students the best education possible.
This year, a total of $9,955 was raised, with a total of 18 colleges entered into the competition. Aside from the many Florida schools, there were several out-of-state schools represented, including The Ohio State University and the University of Georgia. The University of Georgia came in second with $3,840 raised.
But the flag for Tuskegee University, a private HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) in Tuskegee, Alabama, represented an astounding $4,499 in fundraising, thanks to the efforts of fifth grader Amirah Spicer.
“I loved telling everyone how much I appreciated them participating and also letting them know about HBCUs. And it is great to be able to help teachers with supplies,” said Spicer.
Spicer networked and even did a Facebook Live video with her family to help reach her goal of winning again this year. In last year’s competition, she raised an impressive $5,411 in just two short days.
Spicer was present with her family, the president of the local Tuskegee Alumni Association and other HBCU alumni to celebrate and help raise the flag at the celebration while the Tuskegee fight song played. The PTA also presented her with the flag from last year signed by all the teachers. Spicer now has it proudly displayed in her room.
The Bevis PTA plans to continue this fundraising competition next year. To find out how to further support Bevis Elementary, visit www.bevispta.com.
