Lindale to award $25,000 to area schools

Fifteen are high schools are competing for $25,000 in cash prizes from Lindale Mall.

Alburnett, Center Point-Urbana, Central City, East Buchanan, Kennedy, Marion, Metro, North Cedar, North-Linn, Olin, Solon, Springville, Cedar Rapids Washington, Vinton-Shellsburg and Xavier high schools are participants in this year's School Cents community program. Here's how it works:

Participating schools compete to accumulate points through receipts turned in by mall customers. The points are tracked by store receipts, which are dropped in redemption boxes in Lindale Mall center court or at the Collins Road HyVee.

Shoppers who do not wish to give up their receipts can have them validated for points at the mall's Guest Services, located near the fountain.

Every dollar spent at Lindale Mall from now through Dec. 31 is worth 10 points for your favorite school. Customers earn 100 points for every dollar spent at any interior Lindale Mall food merchant. Receipts from the following Lindale Mall's exterior merchants also are accepted: Arby's, Burger King, Planet X, Commercial Federal Bank, Firestone, HyVee, Theatre Cedar Rapids, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday's, US Bank and Village Inn.

$5,000 in cash will be awarded to schools at a mid-way ceremony in November and the final awards ceremony, with a presentation of $20,000 , will take place in January 2010.

Lindale Mall will announce double and triple point weekends throughout the program.  Schools will also be able to earn points through event participation and efforts for press coverage.

2009 marks the 12th year for the School Cents community program. The program is designed to assist area schools with funding for their programs in need and was developed by Lindale Mall to build community-wide support and recognition for those schools involved. 

Lindale Mall has awarded more than $275,000 in cash to area schools through the School Cents program.