HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and Okaloosa County School District Partner to Rollout Thank a Teacher Program

HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and the Okaloosa County School District (OCSD) announced today the launch of a Thank a Teacher—a joint partnership between HCA Florida Fort-Walton Destin Hospital and OCSD. Thank a Teacher is a program celebrating the Okaloosa County School District's dedicated educators. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, students, families, and staff members are encouraged to share their stories about a particular teacher's inspiring actions, supportive words, creative lessons, or just their overall positive impact. 

Nominations start on Monday, November 6, 2023, by using the form on the Okaloosa County School District's website. Each month, one teacher will be selected and highlighted on social media for the Thank a Teacher campaign. Event sponsors HCA Florida Healthcare, which operates HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in Okaloosa County, will provide each winning teacher $250. Winners will be announced at the end of each month during the school year. Teachers selected as a nominee result from nominations from the public that contain words of gratitude and will receive a special email containing those heartfelt messages. 

"Every day, our teachers make a difference as they help prepare students to make the next step in life, whether it is college, the military, or the workforce, and they are sometimes the unsung heroes who do so much behind the scenes without seeking recognition,” stated Superintendent Marcus Chambers. “To that end, we are grateful and appreciative of the partnership with HCA Florida Healthcare to allow our parents and students to nominate teachers for their dedication to the teaching profession and daily positive impacts on students' lives."

"We are thankful for the continued partnership with the Okaloosa County School District and look forward to helping students and parents recognize the impact teachers make on the students and our community," stated Zach McCluskey, CEO of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital. The only thing left to be answered by Okaloosa County is, "Who are you going to nominate?" 

Go to the Thank a Teacher webpage to submit a nomination.