Dallas, TX (March 27, 2015) – The Farmers Insurance Thank America’s Teachers bus tour will make its third stop in Dallas for the Dr Pepper Dallas Cup, March 29 - 31. Soccer star Victor Ulloa will join Farmers to give thanks to his former teacher Deanna Toler of Mesquite High School for helping propel him to success. In addition, as part of a clinic with FC Dallas Academy, a Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Super Group team, Ulloa will recognize Toler and present a check for $2,000 to Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Middle School to help fund athletic programs.
Inspired by the great work done by teachers every day, Farmers created the Thank America’s Teachers initiative to say thank you to teachers across the country and give away more than $1,000,000 in the process. Thank America’s Teachers features an iconic yellow school bus that is traveling coast-to-coast delivering opportunities to say thank you to teachers making a difference in the lives of their students.
Soccer fans are invited to stop by the Thank America’s Teachers bus to share their thanks to a teacher who has made a difference in their lives and vote for proposals submitted by their favorite teachers to receive grant funding from Farmers. Former MLS soccer star and Dallas Cup alumni Ugo Ihemelu will help kick off the thank you collection process on opening day, stopping by the bus to publicly share his gratitude on Sunday, March 29.
The Thank America’s Teachers bus will collect thank yous throughout the tournament:
- Sunday, March 29, 11:30am – 9pm: Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Opening Day at the Cotton Bowl Stadium, including inaugural “thank you” from Ugo Ihemelu
- Monday, March 30, 9pm – 8:30pm: Dr Pepper Dallas Cup Day Two at MoneyGram Soccer Park at Elm Fox; Thank America’s Teachers bus to continue “thank you” collection
- Tuesday, March 31, 2pm: Youth soccer clinic at Francisco “Pancho” Medrano Middle School featuring Victor Ulloa and FC Dallas Academy
“As we embark on the third stop of our national Thank America’s Teachers tour, we are thrilled to be in Dallas to celebrate teachers,” said Kelly LaMar, managing lead of Thank America's Teachers at Farmers Insurance. “We are proud to honor the powerful work educators do on a daily basis to help make us all smarter and better prepared for the future.”
“When I reflect on where I am today, playing for FC Dallas, I know that I couldn’t have achieved this dream without my teacher Mrs. Toler,” said Ulloa. “Her dedication and constant support propelled me forward, and for that I cannot say thank you enough. I encourage everyone to join me in honoring a teacher who has changed their lives by going to ThankAmericasTeachers.com and thanking a teacher.”
Through Thank America’s Teachers, Farmers will give away more than $1,000,000 to educators in 2015 and the public will help determine how to spend it at www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com. Farmers will award 180 grants valued at $2,500 and six Dream Big Teacher Challenge grants of $100,000 each to help support innovative educational programs in communities across the country.
Whether online at www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com or at stops in communities across the country, if a person has the email address of the teacher they wish to thank, their thank you will be delivered to that teacher in the form of an electronic postcard. It’s a simple and fun way to let teachers know of the difference they make in the lives of their students. Visit www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com to find the bus’s next stop.
In addition to visiting the bus in person, there are several ways for the public to become involved with the Thank America’s Teachers initiative:
- Go to www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com to thank a teacher and vote for a teacher’s proposal
- Once thanked online or at the bus, teachers can visit www.ThankAmericasTeachers.com to submit a proposal for a $2,500 grant and for one of six $100,000 grants as part of the Dream Big Teacher Challenge
About Dr Pepper Dallas Cup
Dr Pepper Dallas Cup is the most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in the United States. Dallas Cup consists of eight age groups from U13 to U19 and entertains on average more than 100,000 spectators during the week. Since its inception in 1980, Dallas Cup has hosted teams and referees from across 47 states, six continents and more than 100 countries. Follow Dallas Cup on Twitter, Facebook and on Instagram.
