Central Junior High gets national honor

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

By Heather Kronmueller ~ Southeast Missourian

On a sunny Saturday morning last fall, a group of 36 eighth- and ninth-graders from Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau met at school with rakes and brooms so they could go clean the yards of houses near the school.

It was the third year the school's Renaissance Committee, which sponsors community service events throughout the year, held the Neighborhood Treat and Sweep to Make a Difference Day in October.

And now, six months later, the local project is one of more than 500 in the nation being recognized as outstanding by the Make a Difference Day program sponsored by the Points of Light Foundation, USA Weekend Magazine and its subscribing newspapers, including the Southeast Missourian.

For the 11th annual Make a Difference Day, 10 national, four encore and 529 newspaper awards were given to groups around the country that participated in Make a Difference Day. Almost 2 million people participated in thousands of community service projects around the country.

The Central Junior High Renaissance Committee received a newspaper award for being "outstanding among readers of a local newspaper that carries USA Weekend Magazine."

Renaissance Committee sponsor Nancy Bone couldn't believe her school had been chosen to win the award.

"I though we didn't have a chance of winning," Bone said when she heard the school had won. "I just think I'm going to fly out of the universe, I'm so excited."

On Oct. 27, Bone and 36 students raked leaves and swept sidewalks in front of 50 houses in the neighborhood surrounding the school. They also asked for donations for the Red Cross Sept. 11 fund and collected more than $120.

Bone said the students rang the doorbells of the houses and told the residents they were going to rake their yards for them. When the students were finished raking they gave large planted chrysanthemums to the residents.

If the resident wasn't home they still raked the yard and left the plant on the porch with a note saying the students cleaned the yard for Make a Difference Day.

"Our community just needs help from us," said student Thomas Keener. "It was community service, but it was fun having friends there."

Bone said the school has started doing the Treat and Sweep three years ago after reading about the Make a Difference Day in USA Weekend.

"It promotes goodwill," she said. "A lot of the students walk home and litter. It's important for the neighbors to have nice yards. Maybe now they realize, when they get to know these people, they find out they're human beings and nice to talk to, not just some old grumpy so-and-so."

Bone said the students will take to the streets with their brooms and rakes again this year on Make a Difference Day, Oct. 26.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 128