Electing new officers was the first step in the process of organizing a new Builder's Club at Model School. The following students elected as officers were (l. to r.) Shelby Turner, President; Kelsey Reisig, Secretary; Miranda Curry, Treasurer and Larken Jones, Vice President. All of the girls are sixth grade students at the Richmond, Kentucky school except for Miranda who is a ninth grade student.
Builders Club is a coeducational service organization that provides young people in junior high and middle school the opportunity to help others, serve their school and community, and build a positive future for themselves. The Model School Builder's Club is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Richmond.
Ibrahim Jadoon, co-president of the Model School Key Club addressed the newly organized Builder's Club explaining how they could transition into the Key Club when they entered high school. He also described the many Model School Key Club service projects. He suggested various projects that the Key Club and the Builder's Club could jointly participate in.
Model School Builder's Club members engaged in a joint effort with the Model Laboratory Middle School pep club to assist the Salvation Army's stocking fund with a much-needed funds. This is especially important since both the Salvation Army's kettle collections and their stocking funds are down this year.
After the Model students' donation, the stocking fund has enough money and donations to fill 349 Christmas stockings.
The school's 160 students went to the auditorium Monday afternoon to see the Salvation Army leaders get their arms filled with bags of bills and coins and they also got to see language arts teacher Kevin Ward undergo a mandatory haircut. Before Monday's assembly, Ward had hair down to his shoulders. Because the students' fundraising surpassed $3,000, Ward followed through on a promised to submit to a haircut from fellow teacher Kendall Burke-Brewer. Students screamed and cheered as Ward's locks fell.
Students punctuated both the presentation and haircutting ceremonies with chants of "We are Model!" "We wanted to share our school spirit with the Salvation Army and the families it helps," said pep club club president Madison Wright, an eighth-grader.
Students donated from their allowances, did chores to earn money and asked family members and neighbors for donations, she said. Parents' businesses also donated, said Ashlee Thornsberry, pep club secretary. "Lots of people like the Salvation Army and were glad to help," she said.
"This money from the Model students is going to be a big help," Jo Ann Walker, president of the Salvation Army Auxiliary, said. "Our stocking fund distribution is Saturday, and these funds were much needed."
"This is incredible," Capt. Ryan Brown of the Richmond unit of the Salvation Army told the students. "You've made Christmas morning a lot happier for many children in this area."
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Liberal ports of the above story were extracted from a story by Bill Robinson, Richmond Register News Writer. Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.
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