Mr. Jones of the Ocean County Chapter of The Compassionate Friends proudly welcomed Manchester Township High School Interact Club volunteers this morning to the Children's Memorial Garden at Winding River Park, Toms River, NJ.
It was 20 years ago that Mr. Jones, together with Manchester Township High School's Mr. Gawlik, developed, designed, and helped to build this special garden for the community. Today, Manchester Township High School (MTHS) Interact Club Advisor Nancy Gawlik excitedly shared that "this is the largest group of student volunteers that I can remember! I had to find a larger room at MTHS for us to meet in!" The MTHS students joined and mentored Whiting Elementary School (WES) Impact Club student volunteers today during the first Children's Memorial Garden clean-up of the school year.
Approximately 50 total students from MTHS and WES worked together in groups to pull weeds, plant bulbs, rake the grounds, and prepare the garden for visitors. Students could be heard sharing about how hard the work was today but how rewarding it is to be able to volunteer and make such an important and sacred garden beautiful for those families and friends who visit to honor those children memorialized in the garden who died soon.
The Ocean County Chapter of The Compassionate Friends, one of the largest chapters in the state, dedicated the garden built on property designated by Toms River Township for its use to honor the memories of these local children.
The students and staff of the Manchester Township School District (MTSD) have since adopted parts of the garden and the school district's students help to maintain the grounds annually. This week, other MTSD elementary schools will visit the garden to continue the work started today by the MTHS and WES students.
Manchester's students and staff value service above self, the principal motto of the Rotary Club, of which the MTSD Interact and Impact Clubs are an extension. Manchester's students and staff are living out the school district motto Excellence by Example in this way.
