Fri., Feb. 13 marked the seventh Day of Service & Love. This day was created to honor the lives of the 17 people who were killed, as well as everyone impacted by the events that took place on campus on Feb. 14, 2018. The day allowed students to give back to the community through a variety of service projects including candle making, campus beautification, PB&J sandwich making, hygiene bag decorating for Women in Distress, feeding the first responders and yoga. At 10:17 a.m. everyone gathered at the memorial for a moment of silence.

In order to attend the Day of Service & Love, students had to register through a Microsoft Form and sign up for the service projects they wanted to participate in. Those who did not complete the form were automatically given an excused absence.

PB&J sandwich making was offered by culinary teacher Ashley Kurth. DECA students donated supplies to make the sandwiches. The sandwiches were donated to Feeding South Florida.

History teacher Lauren Saccomanno led an activity in which students could decorate bags and fill them with feminine hygiene products to donate to Women in Distress.

“I chose this service project because I like to help women in need which is so important and it’s also fun to decorate the bags and support the community,” sophomore Johnelle Fleuridor said.

Candle making along with wooden heart painting was hosted by art teachers Jacquelene Liberman and Randee Lombard. The group first painted wooden hearts that were given to a children’s center for Valentine’s Day. After the activity was over, they began making candles.

Students chose their own pot to hold their candles and a scent from a variety of fragrances to scent their candles. Students used their creative abilities and craft-making skills to create two gifts: one for the community and one for themselves or their loved ones.

Best Buddies Club sponsor Coral Bachen hosted friendship bracelet making in room 167. Students were provided a variety of beads and string to create different types of bracelets to share and match with friends. The club chose to host bracelet making because it was an easy way for participants to show their love and support for others. After participants finished making their bracelets, they were given coloring sheets to fill in.

“I think it’s important for students to come participate in activities on the Day of Service & Love because it’s a great way to show our support for the community and show that love beats all,” Bachen said.

students could participate in various activities focused on promoting well-being. One such activity was yoga, during which students practiced meditation and breathing techniques. This experience taught them methods that promote relaxation, stress reduction and concentration.

Students also attended the “spending a mindful morning activity in the media center, where they created bracelets, drawings and arts and crafts. The peaceful atmosphere helped students start the day positively.

Students worked in Marjory’s Garden and helped clean the area, plant and care for plants. Participants contributed to improving the garden and learned the importance of teamwork.

Campus beautification was hosted by social studies teachers Christian Milliken and Dennis Kosobucki. Participants were given rakes and bags of mulch to top off and clean up areas around the courtyard and the Wellness Center. The goal was to freshen up a few areas on campus while allowing participants to enjoy the fresh air.

The First Responders breakfast was hosted in the cafeteria by Student Government Association adviser Danielle Driscoll. Volunteers created goodie bags to deliver to first responders. The breakfast itself consisted of a sandwich, a fruit cup and a dessert, all sponsored by Hard Rock. Sponsors from Wawa also handed out pretzels.

“As the years go on, [Feb. 14] becomes just a day off to students, but in reality, we’re just trying to show that on that tragic day, 17 lives were lost,” Driscoll said. “And so I think that this is just a way of honoring [the first responders] and we just want to make it a brighter day out of something so tragic.”

The first responders were welcomed to the cafeteria by a crowd of cheering volunteers before receiving a raffle ticket and sitting down to receive their breakfast. Then, they stood in line at the L-counter for coffee and Valentine’s Day cards. The coffee booth was organized by Global Leaders United sponsor Rebecca Hernandez.

“I think that it’s important to show the kids that it’s good to give back to the community because they do so much for us,” Hernandez said. “The Day of Service & Love is a nice day to bring the community together.”

As first responders ate their breakfast, students distributed goodie bags filled with snacks like granola bars and mints.

After the breakfast was over, a sponsor from Hard Rock Café began the raffle. Both first responders and school faculty could win prizes such as shirts, dinner reservations at Hard Rock and vacations to all-inclusive resorts in locations like Punta Cana.

The Day of Love & Service concluded with a memorial service, in which the students, staff and community members gathered together to honor the students who lost their lives eight years ago.