Students exit Howard High School in this file photo.When Howard High School art teacher Elizzabeth Beil received a letter that had been typed on a typewriter, she assumed it was just another packet of back-to-school coupons.
But then she saw a link online last weekend to a news story about another teacher, Sally White, who had received the same thing.
“She thought only she got it,” Beil said. “I was like, wait, that’s weird. I got something similar to that.”
Monday, she went to her desk and pulled out the letter again. It was addressed to her, but without a return address or signature. Inside were eight yellow slips of paper, each worth about $100 at McKay’s, a Lee Highway store that deals in new and used books, DVDs, CDs, audio tapes and more.
She said that, since it’s postmarked, she should have known it was especially for her. Other coupons are simply stuffed into all of the mailboxes at the school, she said.
“Now that I look at it, I should’ve known it wasn’t for all of the teachers,” she said.
Beil said at first she felt bad, not only because she hadn’t noticed it was specifically for her, but also because the other teacher who received the gift thought it was just her.
“It made me feel like a jerk because I went, ‘Oh my gosh, some anonymous donor went out of their way to give me this and I just put it to the side,'” she said. “How was I supposed to know?”
But Beil said she is extremely grateful for the unexpected gift, and she has no idea who could have sent it. She said she can’t wait to buy books on artists and their works, as well as DVDs about artists.
“It will just be really exciting,” she said. “And who knows what else you can find at McKay’s? You never know.”
Representatives from McKay’s said in an email that the store cannot take credit for the anonymous donation.
“I wish we could take credit for it, but we cannot,” a member of their support staff wrote. “We were as shocked and amazed as others when the story broke. We think it’s a wonderful and amazing thing, and we are honored to be a part of it.”
So far, only these two teachers have come forward as recipients of the anonymous letters.
Contact staff writer Hannah Smith at hsmith@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6731.