Contributed

to the Telegram

Williford Elementary School has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Goody's Family Clothing Good Deeds for Schools program to use in their music program, including the music education offered in the after school program.

Lonnie Rogerson, store manager at Goody's Cobb Corner location, presented a $10,000 check to Florence Armstrong of Williford Elementary School on May 9.

Through the Good Deeds for Schools grant program, Goody's will award half a million dollars in grants to kindergarten through 12th grade schools in Goody's communities to help pay for items the schools need but cannot afford through regular educational funding, such as playground updates, new computer technology, and arts programs.

"Knowing that schools are consistently underfunded, Goody's store managers expressed an interest in creating a campaign to help their neighborhood schools, and thus Good Deeds for Schools was born," said Mary Beth Fox, Goody's vice president of marketing, strategy and planning.

Williford Elementary School will use their $10,000 Good Deeds Grant to enhance its musical education program. New software will make learning about music more accessible to a larger number of children. The program will be offered to students during school hours and to those in Williford's after school program.

The grant program is funded in part by proceeds from the sale of Ashley Judd's clothing line, available exclusively at Goody's.

"Children are our future," Ashley Judd said. "A good educational experience is their birthright; fostering that notion is at the heart of this grant program."

Through support of children and education, Goody's will impact the communities it serves for years.

"In this, the inaugural year of our program, we received more than 1,000 applications – far surpassing what we anticipated," Fox said. "I can't tell you how much it means to Goody's and Ashley Judd be a part of the solution, and to have a chance to give back to the communities that support us."