Independence Bowl Donates $45,986 to Local Teachers

SHREVEPORT, La. (Sept. 20, 2022) – This week is Extra Yard for Teachers Week across the nation, and the Independence Bowl Foundation is proud to announce that in conjunction with Extra Yard for Teachers and a grant from the Louisiana Department of Revenue, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl has donated $45,986 to local teachers.

“Teachers are so important in building future leaders of our community, and there were so many wonderful projects submitted by teachers across five different parishes,” said Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Executive Director Missy Setters. “We are so fortunate that with the help of Extra Yard for Teachers and a grant from the Louisiana Department of Revenue, we were able to help so many teachers and donate nearly $46,000.”

The $45,986 was donated to 45 different teachers and supported 54 different projects. Each project funded by the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl was posted on DonorsChoose.org by local educators and voted on by an independent committee. The nearly $46,000 of donations is the first part of just under $56,000 in total funding to local educators and schools by the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in 2022.

The Independence Bowl Foundation began working with Extra Yard for Teachers to fund local teacher projects in 2021 and donated a total of $11,243 to local teachers last year. With the $45,986 donated this year, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl has donated $57,229 to local teachers the past two years.

“The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl is more than just a game, and it is so important to give back to the community that has supported us for 46 years running,” continued Setters.

The Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl spread donations to 45 different teachers across five different Parishes – donating to 20 teachers in Bossier Parish, 16 in Caddo, three in DeSoto, one in Red River and five in Webster. Below is the full list of teachers who received a part of the almost $46,000 in funding.

Bossier Parish

• Mrs. Falcon – Bossier High School
• Mrs. Searcy – Bossier Elementary School
• Ms. Harris – Bossier Elementary School
• Mrs. Jarrell – Apollo Elementary School
• Mrs. Porter – Apollo Elementary School
• Mrs. Mooney – Airline High School
• Mrs. Hark – Rusheon Middle School
• Ms. Matkins – Apollo Elementary School
• Mr. Martin – Cope Middle School
• Ms. McSpadden – Greenacres Middle School
• Mrs. Ayres – Benton Middle School
• Mrs. Gray – W.T. Lewis Elementary School
• Mrs. Warren – T.L. Rodes Elementary School
• Mrs. McMillan – Benton Elementary School
• Mrs. Colwell – Central Park Elementary School
• Mrs. Rachel – Central Park Elementary School
• Mrs. Varnell – Apollo Elementary School
• Mrs. Vincent – Apollo Elementary School
• Mrs. Stuart – Haughton Elementary School
• Mrs. Royer – Benton Middle School

Caddo Parish

• Ms. Bridges – Huntington High School
• Ms. Hill – Caddo Heights Math & Science Elementary
• Ms. Lyons – Caddo Heights Math & Science Elementary
• Ms. Fuller – AMI Kids Caddo
• Mrs. Stephens – Caddo Heights Math & Science Elementary
• Mrs. Washington-Cornelius – Northside Elementary School
• Ms. Feaster – Turner Elementary/Middle School
• Mrs. Coffin – Northside Elementary School
• Ms. Greenwood – Woodlawn Elementary School
• Ms. Bruce – Booker T. Washington High School
• Mrs. Davison – Turner Elementary/Middle School
• Mrs. Mack – Turner Elementary/Middle School
• Ms. Cober – Cherokee Park Elementary School
• Mrs. Farris – Northside Elementary School
• Ms. Ford – AMI Kids Caddo
• Ms. Gardner – Summerfield Elementary School

DeSoto Parish

• Mrs. Washington – Mansfield High School
• Mr. Dufour – Mansfield High School
• Mrs. Lowe – Stanley High School

Red River Parish

• Ms. Sesvold – Red River Elementary School

Webster Parish

• Ms. Trent – Doyline High School
• Ms. L. Jones – J.L. Jones Elementary School
• Ms. Howard – North Webster Lower Elementary School
• Ms. Ward – Lakeside Junior/Senior High School
• Ms. Cooper – J.A. Phillips Elementary School
• Along with funding, each teacher who receives funding from the bowl will receive two game tickets to the 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in December, and the teachers will be recognized at the game.

$10,000 Donation to Local Schools to Promote Teacher Retention, Recruitment and Recognition

In addition to the nearly $46,000 donated to local teachers, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl will also donate $5,000 each to two schools, one from Caddo Parish and one from Bossier Parish, during bowl week in December.

The schools will be awarded the grant based on submissions from each school about a plan or program to promote teacher retention, recruitment or recognition. Schools will be required to submit their projects or programs by Friday, October 28. All project submissions will be judged by an independent committee, and the winning schools will be recognized during bowl week.

Public tickets are on sale now and are $30 for endzone bench, $45 for sideline bench and $65 for a limited quantity of sideline chairback seats. There are also a bevy of other ticket packages available – including group tickets, Family 4-Packs, Small Business Fan Packs and the exclusive Chairman’s Club. For more information on tickets to the 2022 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com/tickets or call the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl office at 318.221.0712 or toll-free at 888.414.BOWL.

Fans can plan their trip to Shreveport for the 46th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl at LouisianaTravel.com.

ABOUT THE RADIANCE TECHNOLOGIES INDEPENDENCE BOWL™:

Established in 1976, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl™ is the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl game, and the 46th edition will be played on Friday, December 23, 2022 at 2 p.m. CT between Army West Point and a team form the American Athletic Conference. The UAB Blazers defeated the No. 13 BYU Cougars 31-28 in the 45th Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Saturday, December 18, 2021. The Independence Bowl Foundation announced a one-year extension with Radiance Technologies – ensuring they will be the title sponsor through 2025. The bowl’s conference and team agreements, as well as the television agreement, also run through the 2025 season. Army West Point and BYU are slated to matchup against a rotation of the Pac-12 Conference, American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, which will be televised on an ESPN network.

The Independence Bowl Foundation is prevalent in the Shreveport-Bossier City area throughout the year, hosting events to help enhance the economic impact and growth of our community. The Mission of the Independence Bowl is to attract and provide quality, nationally recognized football competition oriented to the Ark-La-Tex region. For more information, visit RadianceTechnologiesIndependenceBowl.com or follow the bowl on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @IndyBowl.