Shop 'til you drop ... and help raise funds for school programs.

Did you know that every time you shop you could be helping local Burlingame public schools at no extra cost?All you need to do is participate in the following programs and you can help raise money at no cost to you.

It’s true. Every time you do your grocery shopping, order flowers online, even make travel arrangements, a portion of your purchase may be donated to the school of your choice. All you have to do is register your debit or credit card with eScrip. You may register for up to three schools, and several credit cards.Here is a partial list of participating stores:

Andronico’s Food 4 Less Lunardi’s Markets Mollie Stone’s

Payless Market Piazza’s Fine Foods Safeway Trag’s Market

Le Boulanger Round Table Pizza Lullaby Lane Macy’s

Peninsula Beauty Supply 1-800-Flowers Amazon.com Barnes & Noble

Expedia & Travelocity Nordstrom Sephora Walmart

While you’re out shopping, Look for the BoxTop$ logo on products such as Cheerios, Kleenex, and Ziploc bags. Save the boxtops and bring them to the school. You can even help when you shop online! Click here for more information about the BoxTop$ program.

Escrip Group ID numbers: Just register your credit and/or debit cards and your school will receive a portion of every purchase.

Franklin Elementary: Franklin’s eScrip Group ID# is 137357082.

Lincoln Elementary: Lincoln’s Group ID# 136559057.

Washington Elementary: Washington’s Group ID# is 0137357358

Roosevelt Elementary: Check with the school for the ID#.

McKinley Elementary: Check with the school for the ID#.

Burlingame Intermediate School:BIS’s Group ID # is 13735718

Many other retail and chain stores also contribute to local school. Below are a few other ways you can shop to help your school:

Office Depot: Shop for school supplies at Office Depot and give the cashier your school’s name or ID#. Office Depot will donate 5% of qualifying school supplies goes directly to the school of your choice:

Target:

If you have a Target Visa card, you can donate up to 1% of your purchases to up to three organizations. All you have to do is enroll in Target’s Take Charge of Education Program. Your school will receive donations every time you use your RedCard (either in the store or online). Call 1-800-316-6142.

SchoolPoP: Shop online and have a portion of your purchase donated to your school. Click here to find your school and here to view some of the participating merchants. You can also get coupons and great deals while you help support your local school’s programs.

Amazon:

Your school may be participating in Amazon’s program, which will allow a portion of your purchase to be donated to the school. Check with your school for their individual links.

Each individual school also has its own programs and events.

Franklin Elementary has a program where you can order gift cards and the school will receive a portion of your purchase. All you have to do is download the form, either as an Excel spreadsheet or PDF. When you purchase your gift cards through the Franklin PTA, you can help Franklin receive free money. Just about every store you can think of, from Bloomingdales to Whole Foods to Zappos, participates in this program. Click here to read more about it or contact Karen Lynch at Lynch2845@gmail.com.

Lincoln Elementary participates in eShopper. Simply download the eShopper button and use it when you shop online. Amazon, Groupon, Home Depot, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and many more vendors will contribute to Lincoln every time you shop. Click here to start shopping and helping. (Note: You must use Chrome, Firefox or Safari.)

McKinley Elementary holds several fundraising events throughout the year, including a Walk-a-Thon, Bake Sale, and Book Fairs in spring and fall. In addition, on the second Wednesday of every month, Pizza Night takes place at Village Host Pizza on Broadway. In October, McKinley’s two-day Harvest Festival offers games, food, and music, along with an auction/raffle, amusement park rides, a haunted mansion, face painting, a costume contest and much, much more. Click here to find out more or email Wendy Upchurch at upchurch2412@yahoo.com

Burlingame Intermediate School’s Spring Fling is an annual fundraising event of music, food, games, and family fun. Spring Fling is BIS PTA end-of-year community building and fundraising event. Enjoy a night of meeting BIS friends and staff while helping raise important funds to provide much needed supplies for students, teachers, and school. The event usually takes place in May, so contact the PTA for more information about how you can get involved.

Burlingame High School’s 32nd Annual Taste of the Town is a long-standing community tradition. The annual culinary e vent provides your chance to sample some of Burlingame’s best restaurants, enjoying food, wines, and beers from some local companies. Ticket sales, a silent auction, and a raffle help to support important student programs. This year’s extravaganza takes place on Sunday, April 14th from 1 to 4 PM.

Burlingame Community Education Foundation (BCE) supports the entire Burlingame School District.Burlingame’s schools rank in the top 10% of California schools, and BCE grants more than $1 million annually to the school district.This volunteer-driven, non-profit organization has been helping Burlingame schools with funding for programs that no longer receive state monies.Some programs supported by BCE include Music Instruction, Reading Specialists, PE Instruction, and the BIS Drama Program.

Parents, teachers, businesses and community members support BCE and the schools by raising funds to help bridge the gap between state funding and the needs of the district. The goal is to ensure small class size, quality instruction, and enriched curriculum while saving teachers' jobs.

A major event that will not only raise funds, but which promises to be a great evening is the upcoming Roaring Twenties BCE Dinner Dance & Auction. Get out your zoot suits and flapper dresses, roll your stockings down and listen to some big band music and “all that jazz.” The party takes place at the San Francisco Airport Marriott’s Grand Ballroom, which will be transformed into a Roaring 20s speakeasy for the night. You can help BCE meet its 2013 goal of $1.3 million by bidding on items at the silent and live auctions. You can even make a short vacation of it with special deals offered by the hotel. (Babysitting services available, so no excuses!) Click here to learn more. You can help even if you can’t it to the dance. The online auction goes live in February, so you can shop from the comfort of your own home. Registration is required, and there will be no walk-ins, so to reserve a table for 10, pick your wine* and food, and order tickets, click here. Note: Prices will go up after February 15th.

*Wines must be purchased in advance and will not be available for purchase. Bottles will be placed on your table.

When: Saturday, March 2nd

Where: San Francisco Airport Marriott Hotel, Burlingame

Aside from special fundraising events, BCE depends on individual donors throughout the year. Each family is asked to contribute, and while generosity is appreciated, no donation is too small. Many employers will match BCE donations, so check this list to see if your company is one of the many generous organizations who so generously match employee contributions. To donate, click here.

BCE is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, so all donations are tax deductible. BCE’s tax ID # is 94-2722072. Any forms should be sent to:

BCE

P.O. Box 117730

Burlingame, CA 94011-7730.

Phone: 650-766-8969.

BCE would not be able to succeed without its volunteers, and there are many volunteer opportunities that will allow you to help your community and your children’s schools.