Public schools across the Midlands and the state have received a boost in their education efforts for the coming year thanks to a $34,400 gift from Bojangles .Statewide Bojangles restaurants raised the money for public education during a Teacher Appreciation Month fundraiser in May. The company recently presented the check to education nonprofit partner, South Carolina Future Minds, during a breakfast in Lexington. The funds will be used to support the more than 700,000 students, nearly 50,000 teachers and close to 1,200 schools in South Carolina s public education system.This is the fifth year Bojangles has held the statewide fundraiser as a founding sponsor of South Carolina Teacher Appreciation MonthIn May, Bojangles invited customers to honor teachers who have made a difference in their lives by purchasing $1 and $5 paper apples that were displayed in restaurants with the teachers names. Within our Bojangles family, we share countless stories of the positive impact that caring teachers have had in our lives, so each year we look forward to supporting the teachers who continue to make a difference every day, Bojangles president and chief executive officer Clifton Rutledge said. We thank our generous customers, without whom this fundraiser would not be possible, and our partners at South Carolina Future Minds for the opportunity to support their efforts. Bojangles is a major supporter of the state s Teacher of the Year program and has donated more than 13,500 books to the schools of District Teachers of the Year since 2010.Bojangles and its customer have raised more than $97,000 in support of public education in South Carolina.Backpacks of school suppliesThe Golden State Foods Foundation recently presented book bags filled with school supplies to Lewis Greenview Elementary School first graders. At the end of the last school year, the foundation asked parents of rising first-graders at the Richland 1 school not to purchase backpacks for the fall. The book bags were presented to the school last week in the cafeteria.The Foundation has been a long-time supporter of the school.Giving seniors a passSeniors are significant to many school districts across the Midlands.And as a way of expressing that significance, many districts again are providing special gold passes to seniors that provide free admission to various school activities including sporting events, concerts, plays and other programs.Some districts also are offering discounted rates on school lunches and adult education programs. Most passes do not include admission to playoff games and other selected events. The Golden Pass program is a great way to bring community members of all ages together and to say thank you to our senior community for volunteering and supporting our schools, said Lexington-Richland 5 superintendent, Stephen Hefner.The area age range to receive a pass is 60-65 years old. Some districts have scheduled a specific date to pick up passes including Lexington-Richland 5 (Thursday and Friday Aug. 28-29). But most let residents drop in during business hours to pick them up.For information about passes in a particular area, contact your local school district office.