Neither a day off from school nor cold and snowy roads could keep Metea Valley students home on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Over 100 students got to school before 8 a.m. on the holiday to participate in Dr. King’s Day of Service.
“On this snowy day, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Jennifer Rowe, Dean of Students at Metea Valley. “But the kids were there before I was there helping to get snacks and things ready to go.”
After meeting at the school, students loaded up on buses and headed out to serve at places like Feed My Starving Children, Hesed House and the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry.
Many simply enjoy the act of giving back.
“I find it very gratifying. I’ve done a lot of volunteering, and I enjoy working with people, and I love interacting with them and helping out. And it’s the right thing to do,” said
And others marveled at the inclusion of so many different groups in the day of service.
“I think it’s absolutely amazing that we can all get the football team, wrestling team, and others to volunteer today,” said Metea Valley Sophomore Grace McCoy. “Especially on our day off since people just want to sleep in.”
“A lot of kids might not do it on a regular basis,” said Rowe. “They might not be part of a service branch like Do More Metea Valley. But when your club sponsor is saying ‘Hey, this is what we’re doing today,’ when your coach says ‘Hey this is what we’re doing today,’ it starts to become part of a tradition for them.”
Metea Valley students turned a day off into a day on to give back.
Martin Luther King Jr. was declared a statewide day of service by Governor Bruce Rauner.
Naperville News 17’s Blane Erwin reports.
