After submitting a holiday video on a whim, Sebring Middle School was awarded a $15,000 music grant as one of four winners of Rack Room Shoes’ Gift of Music contest. With considerable support from students and community members, a video featuring the 8th grade show choir received more than 18,000 online votes – and a winning spot in the footwear retailer’s national contest.

To celebrate the 2012 holiday season, Rack Room Shoes invited customers to enter the Gift of Music contest by uploading a video rendition of one of five holiday songs. While traveling to local nursing homes to sing Christmas carols, the Sebring show choir made an unplanned visit to a Rack Room Shoes store to perform “Jingle Bells” among aisles of shoes. The improvised performance was captured on video and submitted by choral volunteer Samantha Bickman.