Garden Lakes Elementary School music specialist Emily Threkeld is hoping the community can pull together and cast some votes to help her school win $15,000 for new musical instruments.

Her first grade music class did their part by singing and dancing to “Up on the Housetop” for a video that was required for an online contest, and now it is up to voters to decide who gets the money.

The grant contest is being hosted by Rack Room Shoes, and more than 300 schools are in the running, including about 21 from Georgia alone. Voting began last week and continues through Friday, Jan. 11.

Threkeld said the money would likely be spent on new bass bars and a classroom piano that would benefit all 620 students at the school. She has seven bass bars now that were purchased in about 1990, and she said they rattle and are missing pieces.

The current piano, Threkeld said, is on its last leg.

To view the video entry and cast a vote, visit rackroomshoes.com and click the Gift of Music box in the center of the page. You will then see a drop down tab for All Categories that allows you to browse by state. Once you pick Georgia you will see Garden Lakes Elementary’s video. You can only vote for one video and only once from each computer or device.

Threkeld said she is trying to spread the word about the contest.

“I know we will rally as a school,” she said. “I have been getting the word out, texting all my contacts, Facebooking everyone. I am about ready to buy cards and hand them out in public.”

In addition to the new instruments, Threkeld said she might be able to purchase some technology, such as iPads, for students to use to record music and make vidoes.