A Coeur d'Alene fifth grader gave her $500 trivia prize to cover classmates' lunches

Leah Weber, 10, won an Idaho Lottery contest at a University of Idaho game and donated all of it to Fernan STEM Academy for school lunch.

Verified · Source: Coeur d'Alene PressOct 10, 2026 · 1 min read

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A compartmented school lunch tray with fruit, vegetables, and other dishes — Illustrative U.S. Department of Agriculture photo of a school lunch tray. This is not a meal at Fernan STEM Academy. U.S. Department of Agriculture / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

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Leah Weber, 10, did not know why her mother wanted her hair brushed with extra care on Wednesday morning. The Coeur d'Alene Press reported on October 9, 2026, that Idaho Lottery staff surprised her fifth-grade class at Fernan STEM Academy with a $500 check. She had won it about two and a half weeks earlier, when she was chosen for a potato-themed trivia contest at a University of Idaho football game and answered on the field, with the crowd helping.

Asked what she would do with the money, Leah said she would give all of it to the school so families who cannot afford lunch can still eat. She had already written principal Kathy Livingston to say that was the plan. She told the paper she has a friend without much money and does not want anyone to miss lunch. Her classmates applauded.