Baton Rouge teacher wins $5,000 toward utility bills

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Sherwood Middle School teacher, Brittany Hinyard, got one amazing surprise Wednesday morning. She won $5,000 toward her utility bills.

The award was presented at the school by Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. Hinyard won it in a drawing for teachers who participated in the Wyland Foundation National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation.

“I’m super excited,” Hinyard said. “I’m very grateful and thankful, so I mean, it’s nothing but emotions and I can’t wait to cash it!”

More than 2,500 students from across the parish participate in the challenge. They tried to conserve water in small ways, like when brushing their teeth or taking a shower. Hinyard says she is very passionate about the cause. “Everyone has not been afforded the same opportunities with water that we have,” Hinyard said. “We have lots of nations that do not have water that’s easily accessible, so I think that if we are more water conscious, then we have the opportunity to, I guess you could say, understand what other nations go through.”

Students pledged to save a total of 11.4 million gallons of water. At the presentation, Mayor Broome also revealed Baton Rouge won the nationwide challenge from Wyland for total volume of savings commitments. The city was given a plaque declaring it the “Most Water Wise City” in the nation.

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