At Davidson Charter Academy in Lexington, Jason Berube serves as the hot lunch delivery man, the trash pick-up guy, the bus and car drop off/pick up monitoring guy, and “Mr. Moofus” to a class of kindergartners when he wears his winter hat with moose antlers.

“I wear many hats, literally,” said Berube, facilities manager at the school. “I like to see the reaction on the kids’ faces. I love to make the kids smile. I love to make the teachers smile. If you’re happy, you’re gonna make someone else happy, and it’s gonna have a snowball effect.”

To keep the smiles coming, Berube wears all kinds of hats year-round, like vintage leather football helmets, Russian ushankas, and on particularly good days, the Mr. Moofus hat.

“I don’t think he really appreciates the impact his presence has on some of the kids,” said Randee Berube, his wife. “It’s a big deal to be chosen by Mr. Jason to take down the flag or even take out the trash. He rewards them with oatmeal creme pies.”

Rain or shine, Berube is the first face the students see when they get to school and often the last one before going home. His work ethic shows them that when you are assigned a task, you should do it to the best of your ability, and it wouldn’t hurt to throw a smile on while you do it too.

“If it wasn’t for Mr. Jason, DCA would not be able to operate on a daily basis,” said Lori James, director of education at the school. “He wants to make other people’s lives easier, and if that means cleaning up a mess in a classroom, or the bathroom, or directing traffic in the rain, he’s willing to go out of his way for everyone.”

Berube’s positive influence and exceptional school spirit led to his selection as one of the 10 winners of the Education Lottery’s School Heroes program.

The Education Lottery created the program to showcase the positive impacts teachers, principals, and other school workers have in public schools every day. Parents, teachers, and community members submitted more than 4,900 nominations of individuals making a difference in their schools.

Both the School Hero and their school receive a $10,000 award.

Berube said he plans to finish restoring his ’67 Ford Mustang with his son, take a vacation, and help out a close friend. Jennifer Flury, director of business operations at the school, said that the award will support students and staff at the school.

“Teachers and school staff have all stepped up for our children during these unprecedented times,” said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “The 10 School Heroes selected this year provide a glimpse into the world of these everyday heroes and we are glad to shine a spotlight on their great work.”

Money raised by the lottery assists many of those School Heroes, including $386 million this school year that supports the work of school support staff such as office assistants and custodians. Additional money will help build and repair schools, support the N.C. Pre-K program for “at-risk” four-year-olds, provide college scholarships and grants based on financial need, and help meet school transportation needs.

The lottery raises more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how $9.3 million in lottery funds have made a difference in Davidson County, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website, www.nclottery.com.