Fourteen Minnesota High Schools Named Winners in Toyota's 'Drive For Education' Contest

Schools Will Be Honored At 2012 Minnesota Boys' State Hockey Tournament

ST. PAUL, MN--Feb. 29, 2012: Fourteen high schools in Minnesota have been named winners of Toyota's "Drive For Education" contest. �All 14 schools will receive $2,500 each at the upcoming Minnesota State Hockey Tournament in St. Paul, with the top two schools eventually being awarded an upgraded grant of $10,000.

All winners will be acknowledged during KSTC-TV/Channel 45's coverage of the Boys' Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, March 7-10, in St. Paul.�

Per the rules of the contest, students had to write a short essay specifically detailing how their school could use the $2,500 and $10,000 prizes to enhance education or related amenities, with specific monetary earmarks.� The winning schools and their hometowns include:

Pine Island High School (Pine Island)
Visitation School (Minneapolis)
Deer River High School (Deer River)
Mahnomen High School (Mahnomen)
Nicollet Public School (Nicollet)
Tri-County School (Karlstad)
Rothsay Public School (Rothsay)
Le Sueur-Henderson High School (Le Sueur)
Park Rapids Area High School (Park Rapids)
Jordan High School (Jordan)
Eagle Ridge Academy (Eden Prairie)
Pierz Healy High School (Pierz)
Columbia Heights High School (Columbia Heights)
Morris Area High School (Morris)

"We had numerous worthwhile submissions in this year's contest and these 14 schools represent the very best," said John Beaumont, Merchandising and Marketing Manager for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.'s Chicago sales office.� "It's encouraging and heart warming to see these students embrace this contest for the sake of their schools and communities, at large."�

For the past 23 years, Toyota and its dealers have donated nearly $700,000 to further education in the state of Minnesota through programs like the "Drive For Education" contest.