Hundreds of Council Rock students honor MLK with day of service

Owen Ulrick couldn’t think of anything else he’d rather be doing on this day.
The Council Rock High School South senior was one of more than 400 district students who showed up Monday, Jan. 16 to honor the late civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr. on the 18th Annual Council Rock MLK Day of Service at Holland Middle School in Northampton Township.
After a brief assembly in the auditorium, the 6th and 8th-graders and high school students got to work assembling dozens and dozens of hygiene packages and boxes of non-perishable food items to be sent out to area food pantries, the Bucks County Emergency Shelter and active-duty military personnel stationed all over the world. Accompanying the packages were greeting/thank you cards made by the students, which were also distributed to area first responding agencies.
The items had been collected by students in all Council Rock schools over the last several weeks. Monday’s day of service was part of the work of the CR Cares program, a collaboration of students, staff and community organizations that focuses on helping those in need in Bucks County.
“Any time I can do an act of community service to help someone out, it makes me feel good,” Ulrick said. “Martin Luther King did an incredible amount of service so it feels especially good to be doing something in his name. I just try to give back whenever I can.”

The assembly opening the day featured the awarding of the winners and runners-up of the annual MLK essay contest for 6th-graders across the district. Ava McGovern of Churchville Elementary School won first place for the southern part of the district while Richboro Elementary student Madelyn Pikovsky was the runner-up. Ellen Crosby of Sol Feinstone Elementary was the winner for the northern part, with Goodnoe Elementary student Ava Schmidt the runner-up. The winners received $50 gift cards and the runners-up $25 gift cards.
“Dr. King’s inspiring legacy has changed the outcome of many lives,” said Pikovsky, reading from her essay. “He protested against mistreatment of people with different colored skin, and believed in spreading peace and kindness instead of violence and hatred.
“But even he could not put an end to racism. It is up to everyone else to make the flower blossom and stop racism once and for all.”
Council Rock Superintendent Andrew Sanko lauded the students, who could have been taking up leisurely pursuits on the day off from school, for instead coming out to volunteer to help others.
“This is a special day not just in Council Rock but across the country,” he said. “Thank you for making a day off a day on and helping to make a difference in our community.”

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