Goodrich Elementary School in Woodridge is giving residents a chance to cash in up to $500 worth of checks if they choose to shop and dine at local businesses.

The Goodrich Parent-Teacher Organization is conducting a fundraiser that will benefit the school by selling coupon-like checkbooks, and bring in more people into local businesses.

Dyanne Thayer, Goodrich PTO president, said the school is selling the  CheckAwardsGift-checkbooks to raise money for a number of programs. The books feature checks that can be used as cash for 30 different businesses in the Woodridge area, including restaurants, hair salons, car maintenance shops, museums and more.

The books are now on sale at the school for $30, and contain $500 worth of savings for various locations around town, Thayer said.

“The idea is that customers can carry the books along with them, and they can use the checks, just like real money when they pay at participating businesses in town,” she said. “We thought it was better than just selling coupon books, and this way, the money stays at local businesses.”

Thayer said the goal is to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 to fund various programs and purchase materials at the school.

Some of money will go toward the purchase of technology items, the use of busses for field trips and classroom items for teachers.

“We also have family reading nights, and we’d like to be able to purchase books to give away at those reading events,” Thayer said.

Among some of the deals in the checkbooks include $10 off at restaurants such as Max and Erma’s, Skuddlebutts Pizza and the Tilted Kilt Eatery and Pub. Other offers include $15 off at Jiffy Lube, $24 off at Salon Aria, and discounts to area museums and attractions such as the DuPage Children’s Museum. Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, The Meadows Swim Club in Lisle and Cantigny.

One of the Woodridge businesses, Blue Moon Printing Co., 6804 Hobson Valley Drive, is offering a $25 coupon good for any printing service at the store, including T-shirts, business cards, or any other service they offer, said Kelley Rice, manager at Blue Moon.

“We had done some work for Goodrich School printing up T-shirts for them, and they had asked us if we wanted a spot in their booklet,” Rice said. “This is the first time we have done this before, so I’m not sure what to expect.”

Rice said she had not had anyone use the checks yet at the store.

The school is looking to target holiday shoppers that would like to purchase the books as gifts. As of now, there is no timetable for discontinuing the sale of the books.

“Our hope is to sell a lot of them during the holiday season,” Thayer said.