First-grader Ethan Miller’s search for a golden ticket was rewarded on Friday.
Last week, some students discovered a surprise tucked in with the sandwiches, fruit, and cookies delivered by school bus drivers.
Borrowing an idea from “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” district food staff slipped 12 green-and-gold tickets in the meal sacks. The tickets, supported by a $500 donation from Winthrop Kiwanis and other local donors, are gift cards to businesses in the valley.
Every week for the rest of the year, one ticket will be hidden in a bag on each of the eight morning bus routes and at the four noon-time drop zones. The gift cards will be redeemable at Cinnamon Twisp Bakery, East 20 Pizza, Glover Street Market, Hometown Pizza, Sheri’s Sweet Shoppe, The Barnyard Cinema, Trail’s End Bookstore, Twisp Chevron and Ulrich’s Valley Pharmacy.
“It’s our way of trying to support our local business faced with challenging economic times,” Methow Valley School District Superintendent Tom Venable said.
A few times a week, children will also find whimsical, inspirational notes with their meals, modeled on the Only7Seconds program that counters isolation with words of kindness.
