While everyone may have differing opinions surrounding the debate to reform public schools, we can all agree that teachers -- some more than others -- play an incredibly important role in our lives. To help identify these exceptional teachers and to award one with the crown of "America's Favorite Teacher," WhitePages (www.whitepages.com) today announced the Run & Hug Contest. The crowned teacher, as well as the person who nominated them, will each win two all expenses paid trips to New York City where they will be reunited so the student can thank their favorite teacher in person. The winning teacher will also be awarded an additional $1,000. The Run & Hug winners will be announced on May 3, which is National Teacher Day and will be reunited sometime between May and July.

For every entry submitted, WhitePages will donate $5 to Digital Wish, a non-profit with a unique mission to modernize K-12 classrooms and prepare students for tomorrow's workforce by creating equity in school systems so that each child has equal access to technology.

"The nation's best teachers often times go unappreciated," said Alex Algard, CEO and founder of WhitePages. "Whether it's Waiting For Superman, President Obama's Race to the Top initiative or recent debates about teacher's benefits, at least one theme remains common... good teachers matter. The Run & Hug contest is a perfect opportunity to showcase just how much exceptional teachers touched the lives of their students."

From April 6th to April 22nd, people can go to www.runandhug.com to nominate teachers who have made a lasting impression on their life. All nominations will be posted and open for the U.S. public to vote on. People submitting the teachers, as well as the teacher themselves are encouraged to share their nomination with friends via email, Facebook, and Twitter since the nomination that receives the most votes will win the reunion. People are encouraged to submit their entries as early as possible to allow more time to accumulate the most votes.