Lake Road Receives $2,500 Donation for Technology
An area soybean and rice farmer with family ties at Lake Road chose to direct a $2,500 donation to the elementary school toward the expansion of technology to students.
Rick Duncan of Butler County was among over 1,000 people across the U.S. selected to receive a monetary award through America’s Farmers Grow Communities, a philanthropic program under Monsanto, a sustainable agriculture company.
He selected Lake Road Elementary School as the benefactor since his daughter-in-law, Valerie Duncan, works as a guidance counselor there, and his granddaughter, Cori Duncan, attends the third grade.
Rick Duncan (second from left) and Monsanto District Sales Manager David Stone of Dexter present Lake Road Principal Erica Weadon with a check during a school assembly on Tuesday, March 31, in the gymnasium. Also pictured is Duncan’s granddaughter, Cori.
“I would like to personally thank Mr. Rick Duncan for entering the America’s Farmers Grow Communities contest and choosing Lake Road Elementary to receive the $2,500 donation,” Principal Erica Weadon said. “It means so much to our entire school and community – students, parents and teachers alike.”
The R-I school district has plans to upgrade Lake Road’s Wi-Fi over the summer and add computers for third graders, according to Weadon. She said she intends on using the Monsanto money toward purchasing additional laptops and a cart so the second grade also has more access to online instructional resources.
Having awarded over $19 million to rural America over the past five years, the Monsanto Fund partners with farmers because “farmers know best and choose the nonprofit organization in their community where the donation will make the most impact,” according to the website www.growcommunities.com.