From staff reports
JEFFERSON COUNTY — A benefit for the Jefferson County Schools Foundation, featuring the Students Take a Role at Samford of Virginia Samford Theatre performing Disney’s Peter Pan Jr., will honor Max Cooper on Monday, Feb. 23.
Flying in from New York to help spotlight Cooper will be two of today’s brightest stars of Broadway and STARS alumni, Ben Hope and Nick Burroughs. The preview performance for the musical will begin at 7 p.m. at the Virginia Samford Theatre, located at 1100 26th St. S. in Birmingham.
The Jefferson County Board of Education in Homewood
file photo by Gary Lloyd
A longtime board member for the foundation, Cooper has supported local education through his business McDonald’s CLP, headquartered in Birmingham.
In honor of his late wife, a teacher throughout her career, Cooper sponsors the Jefferson County Teacher of the Year event and is a three-decade sponsor for the annual Coupons for Classrooms coupon book sale that generates up to $250,000 per year for Jefferson County Schools and approximately $60,000 for the foundation. He recently established McDollars for Teachers, a fund to benefit new classroom teachers in the four counties where he has owned McDonald’s franchises.
Cooper is also no stranger to Broadway, having received two Tonys, in 2003 and 2007, for his work as a producer. The event will be catered by students of the Jefferson County Schools Culinary Academy.
The Feb. 23 benefit will support the Jefferson County Schools Foundation programs for student enrichment, student and teacher recognition, classroom teacher innovation grants and professional development.
For ticket information, contact Sally Price at 205-379-2216 or sallyprice@jefcoed.com.
