From Staff Reports

news@csmediatexas.com

 Fifteen public and private schools located near Collin Creek Mall are participating in the 2012-’13 A+ Rewards, the shopping center’s program that awards a total of $25,000 to area schools throughout the school year.

A+ Rewards, formerly known as My School’s Cool, has awarded $42,500 to area schools since it was launched for the 2012-’11 school year, according to information from the contest.

Schools in Wylie that are taking part include Akin Elementary and Draper Intermediate.

Other schools are, in Plano, Armstrong Middle School, Bethany Elementary, Carlisle Elementary, Carpenter Middle School, McCall Elementary, Mathews Elementary, Otto Middle School, Pearson Early Childhood School, Plano East Senior High, Schimelpfenig Middle School, Stinson Elementary and Williams High School. Brighter Horizons Academy in Garland is also participating.

To win points, schools submit receipts from purchases at Collin Creek Mall beginning in August and going through Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Schools also promote the program through school newsletters. At the end of the school year, the mall will award $25,000 in end-of-the-year cash prizes.

New this year is a $500 monthly reward. Each month except December and May, schools that earn a minimum of 1,500 points will be entered in a drawing for $500. A+ Rewards will be based on the information provided in tracking logs, due by the fifth of each month. At the end of December, the three schools with the most points per student will each win $500.

According to Sandy LaClave, general manager at Collin Creek, mall customers can allocate their receipts to any participating school, and they can do so in a couple of ways. If they can sacrifice the receipts, they can put them in the “redemption lockers” for each school, located near Center Court at the mall. Or, if shoppers want to hang onto their receipts, they can come to the mall office and personnel will fill out a “Point Pass” in the amount of purchase. The customer can then deposit the Point Pass in the redemption lockers.