A group of local Grade 6 students is being recognized by the OPP for performing acts of kindness.
The students, from J.D. Hogarth Public School in Fergus, took part in the OPP Kids program and decided to go one step further and give back to the community.
Last week they took part in a “shovel and run,” bringing shovels to school to help clear area driveways and sidewalks.
Police explained the winter acts of kindness were an extension of a “rake and run” last fall under the guidance of Constable Jen Tschanz. For that exercise, students brought in rakes and visited local homes to rake and clean up leaves for residents.
“The feedback received on both events was incredibly positive, with many community members posting on social media platforms the kindness the kids showed,” police stated in a press release.
Officials say the students “were especially thrilled” with an email expressing appreciation for their work and stating the resident was paying them back by adopting an animal in their name.
A package delivered to the school included photos and information about two donkeys, Cocoa and Moses, at the Donkey Sanctuary in Birmingham.
“The kids were beyond excited to see how doing something for someone else doesn’t only help the person directly, but can also lead to a trickle effect,” police stated.
The OPP Kids program teaches Grade 6 students in 32 elementary schools in Wellington County about healthy relationships, personal boundaries, social media and online safety.
