The Bartow Education Foundation was established in the early 2000s as a nonprofit organization designed to provide additional support for the Bartow County School System, its employees and students.
Dot Frasier, executive director for the foundation, said donors this year contributed more than $80,000.
"We couldn't do this without you (the donors)," Frasier said.
Bartow Education Foundation president Olen Suire said the event is one of his favorites during the school year.
"The tough part is raising the funds, and the fun part is giving the money out," said Bartow Education Foundation president Olen Suire. "Since the inception of the foundation, we've given out over $1 million in teacher grants."
Superintendent of Bartow schools John Harper said the program was important because teachers are often having to pay out of pocket for classroom expenses not covered by state and local taxes.
"We certainly appreciate all the work you do for our children day in and day out," Harper said. "You've raised your goal every year for additional monies to put in our teacher's hands."
Bartow teachers who are seeking additional classroom funding can apply for a grant up to $500 through the foundation. A three-person panel will evaluate the request and if approved, the teacher will receive the funding to be used toward classroom improvement based upon their request.
The foundation received around 333 grant requests this year and was able to award 172.
Frasier said grants are primarily targeted toward reading and math improvement, but encourage teachers to be creative with their students and help reach them on a different level.
Notable examples of grants this year include the implementation of e-readers and tablet computers into instruction as well as the use of digital cameras.