Dollar General officials made a surprise visit on Thursday, Dec. 11, to Beaufort Elementary School, and they carried with them a yellow-and-black box.  When school leaders opened the box in front of a classroom of curious students, they were elated to find a check for $40,000.

“Dollar General is very passionate about its mission of serving others, and we are all excited to surprise Beaufort Elementary School with a donation to further their reading and literacy programs,” said Gary Sinclair, Region Director for Dollar General. “We hope this donation will help equip the school with the tools and resources it needs to improve the learning experience for students.”

Dollar General’s donation is part of its Reading Revolution program, which aims to provide schools with additional resources to purchase books, computers and other educational supplies to enhance their reading and literacy programs.

Beaufort Elementary was chosen by Dollar General due to its close proximity to the company’s Robert Smalls Parkway store, one of the largest contributors to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation through its Cash Cube program.

“By supporting Beaufort Elementary School with this gift, we hope to help students become better readers, more successful students and lifelong learners,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s director of community initiatives.

Beaufort Elementary Principal Gary McCulloch said that his hands were shaking when he opened the box decorated with Dollar General’s trademark yellow and black colors.

“This is obviously an incredible day for our school,” McCulloch said.  “Our goal is to provide kids with the kinds of reading resources that spark their interest and keep them excited, and our teachers are ecstatic about the opportunities this wonderful donation opens up.”

McCulloch said the school will use the money to buy books and other reading materials designed to appeal to a variety of reading levels.