For the fourth consecutive year, Arvest Bank will honor teachers throughout the state of Oklahoma by awarding 36 educators with a total of $18,000 in prize money.

The decision to award 36 $500 gifts to individual teachers from a pool of 30 counties in Oklahoma was made out of respect and appreciation for the work teachers do. All prizes will go to teachers who work at state-funded schools.

Annah Fischer, the Marketing Manager for Arvest in Bartlesville, said there will be a nomination process that will go live on Monday, Oct. 7th. She said you can go in and nominate a local teacher that you think deserves $500 for their teaching supplies.

In the 4 state region that Oklahoma falls in, Fischer said she believes 131 teachers will be honored. She said that that is going to add up to $65,500, which is exciting to her, because it makes a big impact on local educators.

To nominate a teacher to receive one of the $500 prizes, look for an Arvest Bank Facebook post about this contest during the week of Monday, Oct. 7th through Sunday, Oct. 13th. Use the form provided in the post to enter your favorite teacher’s name and other requested information, including one sentence describing why that teacher deserves to win.

Fishcer said they normally bring a big check and balloons to surprise the teacher in their classroom. Arvest Bank of Bartlesville will also post on their Facebook page the winners they present checks too. Fischer said Arvest will try to get present all checks by November.

Counties included are: Adair, Canadian, Cherokee, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Grady, LeFlore, Mayes, McIntosh, McClain, McCurtain, Muskogee, Nowata, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburgh, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Rogers, Sequoyah, Stephens, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington.