TUCSON, Ariz. — In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, students at St. Michael's School gave back to the community.
"We want to honor his legacy by helping students make the connection between what they learn and the privilege of education and giving back to the community," said Brendan Sullivan, the head of school at St. Michael's.
Students grades six, seven, and eight spread themselves across Tucson at nine different nonprofit organizations. St. Michael's says the nine organizations chosen serve a broad range of causes and were chosen by the school to expand its students' experiences and perspectives.
"I feel joy and a sense of purpose. He [MLK Jr.] started this and so its just our job to keep it going and to keep his message alive," said Jordan Goedel, an 8th grader.
At Beads of Courage, the students packaged and sorted beads, while at Hermitage they organized adoption packs and cleaned the walls. St. Michael's chaplain, Mother Clare Yarborough, founded this annual tradition at the school in 2017.
"I feel happy because I get to do this. I mean, look at the cats," said Ethan Ackerman, an 8th grader.
While the sixth, seventh and eighth grade students left campus to volunteer, St. Michael's fifth grade students stayed behind to make Ben's Bells and cards to deliver to the VA Hospital.
