Frankie Lemmon School mom finalist in national Ikea contest

Muchmore spoke about how much Frankie Lemmon has meant to her son and family as the school embarked on a fundraising campaign.

Today, I'm writing about another Frankie Lemmon mom, whose passion for the school has landed her among the five national finalists in Ikea's Life Improvement Contest. The winner will receive $100,000 to complete a project that will improve the lives of others.

The mom is Melissa Matthews, a former kindergarten teacher and elementary school reading specialist and a mother of three. Her second son, Aidan, has Down syndrome and attends Frankie Lemmon.

As part of the Life Improvement Project, Matthews wants to buy additional technology and software for Frankie Lemmon students; fund advanced training in teaching technologies for the school's educators; pay for programs that extend the reach of the school to more kids in the community; create an online resource for teachers and parents of children with special needs. The project would be "life-changing" for kids at the school, I'm told.

The winner of the contest will be determined by a public online vote on Ikea's website. Voting began Nov. 28 and ends Dec. 23.

During these dates, website visitors can pick their favorite entry to determine the winner by following the online instructions. The first time you submit a vote, you will receive an email to the email address submitted and will be required to click on the link in the email and confirm your email address in order for your vote to be valid. There is a limit of one vote per email address per day. Matthew's project is "Special Technology for Special Kids."

Congratulations Melissa and good luck!