The Centennial Education Foundation (CEF) is once again searching for the most pawsome pets in the Greater Philadelphia area. Whether your pet is the cutest, funniest, or just plain lovable, CEF has launched its second annual Pawsome Pet Contest — a fun, community-driven fundraiser supporting local schools.
“When we held our first competition in 2024, it generated a lot of buzz and our supporters loved showing off their pets,” said Max Weintraub, President of the Centennial Education Foundation. “We’re excited to bring Pawsome Pets back and once again put the spotlight on our furry friends — all while supporting our students.”
The fundraiser contest kicked off on February 6, with pet owners in the Greater Philadelphia area invited to create a free entry for their pets on the contest website. Then beginning March 2nd, open voting will begin and progress into a bracket voting format where friends, family, and neighbors will take part in casting their votes via donations.
The funds raised from the contest will directly support grants that teachers in the Centennial School District apply for and boost unique learning programs that tax dollars do not fund for students. For instance, last year, in Mr. Deisler’s class at Klinger Middle School, 7th and 8th grade STEM students had the opportunity to build and race steam-powered boats inspired by local inventor John Fitch. Students designed and created steam engines using copper tubing and fuel sources, then put their boats to the test in a friendly competition at Craven Hall and the John Fitch Steamboat Museum. This project blends STEM with community, giving our kids the chance to be creative problem-solvers while seeing how innovation has always been part of who we are.
The Top 15 pets who receive the most votes by April 20th will then be featured on a fifteen-month printed calendar that will run from October of 2026 through December 2027. In addition, the top three pets will be awarded prize packs at the end of the contest. Contest sponsors include Wegmans, Hellerick’s Adventure Farm, Otherworld Philadelphia, and Barkbox.
New this year, the winning pets’ calendar photos will be taken by student photographers from William Tennent High School, giving students real-world creative experience while celebrating community pets.
Jennifer Schultz, Executive Director shared, “The first contest that we ran featured over 600 beloved pets — each one was adorable and clearly very loved by their owners. It was incredible to see the community support our fundraising mission.”
The Centennial School District is made up of Davis Elementary, McDonald Elementary, Willow Dale Elementary, Log College Middle School, Klinger Middle School, and William Tennent High School and serves over five thousand students in Central Bucks County.
To learn more about CEF’s Pawsome Pet Contest, go to www.cefpawsomepets.org.
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About Centennial Education Foundation
Since 1997, Centennial Education Foundation has worked diligently to change the lives of the students in the Centennial School district. With a mission to support educational programs, scholarships, and in-kind donations – they have been successful in giving over $1,000,000 in grants towards experiences that have benefited over 100,000 children in the school district. These programs vary yearly, however, some highlights include: anti-bullying, STEM, STEAM, art, reading, language arts, and mental health grants just to name a few. Additionally, during COVID, they added to their mission by raising funds to help feed the community that the school district serves. To learn more about CEF visit www.centennialef.org
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