Rush Limbaugh Surprises Elementary School With $15K

Rush Limbaugh and his wife, Kathryn, were almost responsible for sending Hawkins Elementary School Principal Barry Bellamy into cardiac arrest, according to The Rogersville Review in Tennessee.

Not literally, but several thousand dollars worth of books, and a $15,000 check the school received in the mail this week from the Limbaughs certainly created a stir on the campus.

"What can I say?" an elated Bellamy told The Review. "This is one of the largest gifts this school has ever received."

Hawkins Elementary was one of three schools chosen to receive the grants in a nationwide essay contest sponsored by the outspoken, conservative radio host, author, and speaker.

First-year teacher Danee Collett, who wrote the winning essay, said she was "absolutely blown away" by the gifts.

"My dad is a huge Rush Limbaugh fan and listens to him all the time on the radio," she said. "He heard about this contest and thought it would be perfect for our school. When he told me about it, I went right to work on it."

"When the envelope arrived, I thought, well, maybe they sent us a couple of hundred dollars," Bellamy said. "When I saw the amount of that check I couldn't believe what I was holding in my hands."

Limbaugh placed no restrictions on what it can be used to purchase. The fourth-grade teacher said the money will probably be used for whiteboards, desks and tables for the library.

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