Central Lutheran School wins $100,000

NEWHALL – Central Lutheran School in Newhall received a $100,000 surprise.

The school is the third winner in U.S. Cellular's Calling All Communities campaign.  Central Lutheran launched into the Top 10 early in the campaign. Community support kept the 133-student school there until the end.

Students and staff learned of the victory Thursday when a school concert was interrupted by Gov. Chet Culver and U.S. Cellular CEO John E. Rooney.

Central Lutheran joins nine other schools in sharing $1 million through the campaign.

“Although we were in the Top 10 for several weeks, we didn't take any chances,” said Principal Jan Doellinger, who was notified of the school's victory but kept it a secret until the surprise announcement. “We pushed for votes all the way through the end of the campaign. Seeing the smiling faces of our students made the journey worthwhile.”

Central Lutheran rallied voter support by getting their alumni involved, using facebook and rallying area churches.

This is the second year that U.S. Cellular has awarded $1 million to 10 schools and the second time an Iowa school has earned the prize. Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll was among the 2009 champions.

This year's voter participation nearly quadrupled with 430,000 votes cast for 6,800-plus schools nationwide.  More than 1,000 schools in Iowa joined the campaign.

U.S. Cellular associates will make seven more surprise visits to the remaining schools throughout February.