Burlington Stores Inc. marked the opening of its Farmington store with a ribbon cutting Friday and a $5,000 donation to Animas Elementary School to help fund classroom materials.
The funds will be distributed among teachers at Animas, Farmington Municipal Schools Superintendent Cody Diehl said.
Diehl said the donation will help support classroom initiatives and provide teachers with additional resources. He said early discussions with the national retailer focused on Title I schools in Farmington, and Animas was selected because of its proximity to the new store.
“I love the fact that they reached out to our schools in Farmington and San Juan County,” Diehl said. “This community does so much for our schools and this is just another example of how this community supports our schools, whether it’s directly or through our programs, athletics.”
Shelley York, Burlington regional vice president, said the store carries merchandise useful for schools, including art supplies and backpacks.
The donation was made through Burlington’s long-standing partnership with the national nonprofit AdoptAClassroom. York said the organization evaluates community need and proximity when selecting schools for funding.
With the closest Burlington location previously in Albuquerque, York said she has heard community members express excitement about having a store in Farmington.
“Delivering incredible value on brand-name and on-trend merchandise is at the heart of what we do,” said Michael O’Sullivan, CEO of Burlington Stores. “Opening a new, modernized store in Farmington is an exciting step for us as we continue expanding Burlington locations nationwide. We look forward to giving local customers the chance to explore great savings, find fresh brands and experience our new and improved store design.”
Trisha Bejar, principal of Animas Elementary School, said the administration was excited to be selected as a community partner and welcomes opportunities for collaboration.
As a Title I school, Bejar said the importance of the donation lies in supporting teachers and providing resources they need in the classroom. She said the school focuses on parent involvement and addressing barriers to student success.
“We do anything we can to get our parents involved and just know that we’re trying to address the root cause to help them be successful in school,” she said. “We want parents to know that we want to pave the way to make it as easy as possible.”
Before the store opened, staff and Diehl stood by the oversized check while fifth grader Kylie Moses cut the ribbon.
Families, staff and community members then toured the new location, which features Burlington’s reimagined store design intended to make shopping easier.
Geraldine Moses, a parent of the fifth grader and a third-grade teacher at Animas, joined her daughter inside the store.
Moses has attended Animas since kindergarten and is preparing for state testing.
“I’ve been teaching going on 15 years,” said Moses. “My first year doing third grade – we’re also getting ready for state testing. I was telling my kids, ‘I’m new to this too, so we’re going in into this together.’”
Moses said Animas is a supportive place to work, and administrators back staff.
“Our admin called, and told everyone, ‘Come to the ribbon cutting and they have a surprise for Animas,’ and we had no idea – our first thought was, are we all getting coats, because Burlington Coat Factory,” Moses said. “We saw the check, and we’re like, whoa, that’s a lot of money.”
Moses said the school will benefit from the donation, noting that many students walk to school and the school operates one bus route. She said Animas serves a high-needs student population and relies on community support to meet those needs.
“It’s just something that our kids will be happy and excited for,” she said. “Even if they’re in need of coats and stuff like that – having Burlington behind the school and being there to support us is really a big thing.”
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