Students Walk the Talk On Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

The Haddonfield Memorial High School cafeteria was transformed this morning by 7:30 a.m. into "Day of Service central.'’ A video collage of Martin Luther King Jr. speeches and civil rights events ran on a large screen at one end of the room, while students shuffled in to pick up water bottles, bagels and fruit provisions for the day.

According to Christa Wesley, a math teacher and faculty adviser to the student LEO Club that sponsors the event, at least 220 high school students signed up to spend the day serving 12 organizations throughout Camden County between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. today.

Three buses picked up and delivered students to nursing homes, animal rescues, special needs facilities, soup kitchens, the YMCA of Camden and hospitals. Volunteers were exercising greyhounds, doing cleaning projects inside and out, painting, putting together soup kitchen packets and even rebuilding bicycles.

Wesley said she “inherited” her post as LEO chairperson four years ago when she joined the faculty. LEO is a student branch of the local Lions Club. Sponsorship for the day’s shirts came from tri-state Lions Club support. LEO, along with sponsorship from the PTA, student activities fund, and parent and teacher volunteerism, is in its eighth year at HMHS.

High school Principal Michael Wilson was on hand in Bulldawgs gear early to participate in the shuttling of students on and off buses throughout the day.

“The day has never lost momentum," he said. "This year nearly one-third of the school will participate. It is remarkable. And this is early for teenagers. I think students understand. His legacy is the reason they are here today.”

Juniors Carson Stack and Alex Walter wore blue versions of the volunteer shirts. They were in charge of organizing groups to any of 12 sites from before 8 a.m. until noon. Stack said he’ll be “at wrestling practice by 12.” He got involved with the day of service this year because he had Wesley as a teacher.

"She’s awesome,” Stack said. Both boys are members of LEO club.

Wesley said that librarian Brian Stafford put together the DVD of civil rights-oriented scenes and speeches. Dean of Students Shannon Plunkett and special education teacher Karen Sprinsky co-chaired the event with Wesley.

Plunkett previously worked at the middle school and has been at the high school for the last six months.  

Wesley said some projects begun today will carry on throughout the year. LEO Club members work with some nonprofits and charities throughout the year. For example, students who work on donated bikes today will have an opportunity to deliver those bikes to kids in Camden later this year.

Griffin Kidd, a physics teacher in his first year here, said that the turnout of “a third of the student body giving up a day off says a lot about the student community at HMHS. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Kidd will chaperone and participate in the RE-Cycle activity re-furbishing and receiving donated bikes.

Two parent volunteers, Michelle Romash and Nina Reses, talked about days when Martin Luther King Day was not a federal holiday. Romash said making the day a holiday “gave that much more power and significance to it.”

Both parents think the experience kids will have participating will start them on a tradition of helping in the community.

“It’s a good thing to do," sophomore Ethan Schultz said. "You feel good about yourself when you help others.”

A senior added, “This is really organized. I’m proud.”