J.W. Dobbs Elementary School

Delta Airlines has pledged to donate $500,000 over five years toward programs and initiatives at two Atlanta Public Schools – Hutchinson and Dobbs Elementary.

Students and staff at Hutchinson and Dobbs Elementary Schools have one more thing for which to be thankful … the generosity of Delta Airlines.

Members of Delta’s cargo division, led by vice president Shawn Cole, visited Hutchinson on Friday and brought boxes of school supplies, along with large bags filled with snacks

and treats for every student in the school. The students can take the snacks home over the holiday to ensure they have plenty of nourishment between meals during the Thanksgiving break. Then, the 50 or so employees hung around for a few hours to read to students.

It is yet another example of the commitment Delta has made to partner with Atlanta Public Schools to improve the lives of students and give back to the community. Along with volunteer efforts, Delta has pledged to donate $100,000 a year for the next five years to fund various projects and initiatives at Hutchinson and Dobbs Elementary.

Shawn Cole, vice president of the Delta Airlines Cargo Division speaks with students at Hutchinson Elementary School.

“Atlanta is our hometown, and we want to make sure we focus on improving the community,” Cole said. “Education is the key to a successful future, and with Hutchinson and Dobbs being just five minutes away from us, we’re all part of the community. These students are our future employees and our future customers. We want to bring that ‘Delta love’ to them.”

So far this year that “Delta love” has been displayed in various ways at Hutchinson. The gym has been painted. The cafeteria has been refurbished with fresh paint, new lights and two large flat screen monitors, and Delta volunteers organized the school’s “Trunk or Treat” Halloween event and are active participants in the Delta Buddies reading program.

“We have made a huge and much-needed commitment to improve reading, and Delta is helping us with that,” Hutchinson Principal Dr. Shaunta Broadway said. “But there has been a trickle- down effect that has improved our school culture. To have an international company like Delta come in and be a partner, and donate so much time and money, it has made all of us – teachers, students, parents – feel more important. It’s just been a blessing.”