For Immediate Release

Friday, Dec. 22, 2017

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net

Hull Students Participate in Community Service Activities to Give Back During the Holidays

HULL- Students at Hull Public Schools have jumped into the spirit of giving back this holiday season with organized events at the elementary, middle and high schools.

Throughout December, Hull High School students and staff organized and participated in a calendar full of activities and volunteer activities. On Dec. 20, members of Hull High School’s National Honor Society (NHS) sponsored a blood drive in conjunction with the American Red Cross. Throughout the day, students, faculty and staff made their way to the high school gym to donate, and in the end 37 units of blood were collected.

In addition to the blood drive, the NHS sponsored a coat and food drive throughout to December to benefit Wellspring, a private multi-service organization that provides emergency services to help people become more independent and productive members of society. The high school’s Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association student ambassadors also collected and donated many new pairs of socks to Wellspring. More than 200 food items have been given to Wellspring.

“The holidays are about celebrating with friends and family and finding time to help others in need,” High School Principal Paula Girouard McCann said. “On behalf of the entire school district, we’re extremely proud of our students for prioritizing community service. Their actions have impacted those in our community and beyond.”

Expanding Hull High School’s reach beyond the community, Junior Lily Whelan is raising money for Luke’s Lights, a Hull-based organization that works to bring solar-powered lights to areas around the world that don’t have electricity.

Although most activities were scheduled throughout the month of December, students began their good deeds before Thanksgiving with the high school’s annual competition among each grade to raise money for a charity of the winning grade’s choice. The winners were announced at the school’s annual Thanksgiving Rally on Nov. 23. This year, the junior class won the competition and chose to donate funds to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Additionally, students collected more than 1,000 canned goods for Wellspring during the month of November.

“The dedication our students have shown this season is truly remarkable,” Superintendent Michael Devine said. “We encourage our students to continue participating in community service activities beyond the holidays and well into the New Year.”

Hull’s Memorial Middle School participated in the holiday giving season as well with its competition between first period classes to collect the most canned goods for donation to Wellspring. At the conclusion of the drive on Dec. 8, the top two classes were awarded with a celebratory dodgeball game on Dec. 15.

Following in the footsteps of the middle and high school, Lillian M. Jacobs Elementary School hosted its Fourth Grade Barter Flea Market on Dec. 15. For the past 16 years, the annual flea market has encouraged students in every grade to donate gently used items to the market that can later be “purchased” with non-perishable food items and canned goods. Following the event, 1,242 canned goods and any leftover items from the market were donated to the Wellspring Food Pantry.

For more information on Wellspring and how to donate, click here. To support Luke’s Lights and its mission to increase solar power in places of need visit them online here.

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