Cumberland County Schools program motivates students with car giveaway

The initiative is called the Driven 2 Excel program, and this year, students have a chance to win a 2016 Kia Soul.

Anthony Allen and Sydney Collazo are two students at the Cross Creek Early College who have a chance to win the car.

"It's a means of transportation coming back home whenever I need to," Collazo said. "To see my family if there's an emergency or if I just really need to see them."

Allen plans to attend North Carolina A&T and become an Electrical Engineer. He's proud that 41 students from his school, more than any other in the system, are still in the running to win the car, based on attendance and performance.

"Well it speaks volumes to our teachers, our staff and the students at Cross Creek," he said.

The car is provided by Fayetteville Kia though Beasley Media Group. But, the radio station is giving away more than just the car. Beasley Media Group also has drawings for other gifts, like laptop computer, college dorm bedding and concert tickets.

Attendance is up for seniors at all schools. When the program started in 2013, only 86 students qualified for the car drawing. This year, more than 750 are in the running for the new car.

"We want our kids to be successful and be to work on time," Superintendent Frank Till said. "Every minute counts and being to work every day is important, so they started this and you started this and you can see how it's grown. People see it seriously. Somebody is going to win a car."

The drawing takes place May 16. They had more than 1000 people at last year's event at the car dealership, so this year's event has been moved to the Crown Arena.

Thomas Nguyen won the car last year. As a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill, he wasn't allow to have a car on campus, so he gave it to his mother.