Six KC Teachers, $1,500 for Classrooms, and a Record Year of Nominations
Posted at Wed, Sep 23, 2026 5:40 PM
Our Back-to-School Teacher Giveaway Winners Are In
Every August, as school supply lists come home and classrooms start filling back up, we like to do something small for the people who make it all happen. For several years now, Oakes Auto Group has hosted our Back to School Teacher Giveaway, where the community nominates teachers who go above and beyond, and we send a little help their way.
This year, we awarded $250 each to six teachers to put toward their classrooms. Whether that's books, supplies, snacks for kids who need them, or that one thing they've been paying for out of their own pocket, it's theirs to use however helps their students most.
Meet This Year's Winners
Congratulations to:
- Sarah Mattivi
- Allison Gottfried
- Aubrie Crotty
- Joe Mattivi
- Jeremy Mathis
- Ashley Jensen
This year's winners teach at schools across the Kansas City area, including Winnetonka High School, Walden Middle School, Diemer Elementary in Shawnee Mission, and Graden Elementary School.
A Record Year for Nominations
We had more nominations this year than ever before in the history of the giveaway. Reading through them was honestly the best part. Parents, students, coworkers, and neighbors wrote in about teachers who stay late, show up early, notice when a kid is having a rough day, and make school a place kids actually want to be.
Selecting just six wasn't easy. Every teacher nominated is making a difference, and we hope they know it.
Thank You, Teachers
To every teacher out there: thank you. You do so much more than teach lessons. You spend your own money, your own time, and a lot of your own energy making sure kids have what they need. It doesn't go unnoticed.
Thank You, KC
And to everyone who took the time to nominate a teacher, thank you for helping us recognize them. This giveaway only works because our community shows up for the people who show up for their kids.
We're already looking forward to next year.
Oakes Auto Group proudly serves the Kansas City area through Oakes Kia, Oakes Kia of Olathe, and Oakes GMC.