MASSENA - A Massena woman won 100,000 digital box tops, valued at $10,000, for her school.

Patti Laraby, parent of a Madison Elementary student, won the prize.

General Mills started the Box Tops for Education program in the mid-1990s.

Every box top returned from participating brands and products returns money for the school of the returner’s choice.

“I was surprised to find that Madison Elementary is now ranked number one in our area, and number 5 in the nation for box tops,” Laraby said. Parents can visit www.boxtops4education.com to view school rankings and compare schools in the area.

Laraby says she consistently collects box tops to earn money for her daughter’s school, and has participated in the online “bonus box tops” contest previously, winning 50 bonus box tops.

Ultimately, Madison’s Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) will decide where to allocate the funds, but Laraby has some suggestions.

“I would like to see some of the money given to the specials, including art and music. I also think it would be beneficial to buy a supply of tissues for each classroom, and if possible, purchase all of the school supplies needed for each classroom for next year. Imagine going to find your child’s school supply list and finding a notice that all the supplies have already been bought?” she said in a news release.

Laraby said that these are only her suggestions, and the PTO is welcoming input from parents, teachers, and the community as they make their decision.

For more information about Massena Central School District, please visit www.mcs.k12.ny.us.