Twenty-five years after its darkest day, Columbine High School students, teachers and others gathered for a Day of Service to honor the 12 students and teacher who died on April 20, 1999.
Jeff Garkow, Columbine social studies teacher and an organizer of the event, said the day was successful despite the blast of snow that hit the metro area on Saturday.
“Even with the snow, we had 44 out of 47 projects still take place and many of our outdoor projects were still successful in large part due to our kid’s desire to serve,” Garkow said. “Overall it was an incredibly positive day for the community and a testament to the strength and resiliency of Columbine.”
The school started hosting a Day of Service in 2017, an annual event that focuses on volunteerism and building community.
The 25th anniversary didn’t bring anything different than prior years, Garkow said, except that more people asked how they could get involved in supporting the school.
“We had two community food and supply drives going to support local food pantries,” Garkow said. “Students collected from front porches and had collection stations set up in every neighborhood that feeds into Columbine, and the participation in this was extraordinary.”
After gathering the donations, Garkow said there were classrooms full of students and staff sorting through the items.
“I’m excited to see projects like this continue to grow that involve more and more people from our community,” Garkow said.
Participants wore matching gray shirts that said, “An act of kindness always sparks another” on the back.
Sophomore Madison Price said that many students participate in the day with their sports team or school club. After seeing the unity the day brought her first year, she was excited to do it once again.
Leading up to this year’s Day of Service, Price joined her poms team in going to an elementary school. With the students there, they hand wrote and decorated cards, which they then delivered to a local retirement community.
The poms team spoke with people at the retirement home and performed some of their favorite dances.
“It’s really just seen as a way to give back to our community now in the way that they did when it (the Columbine shooting) happened,” said Price.
On the first Day of Service in 2017, about 400 students volunteered. This year there were 1,200 students and 65 staff members who participated at Columbine.
“We are also aware, at the moment, of nearly 40 projects that took place outside of what was organized at Columbine,” Garkow said. “Illinois, Nebraska, California, Canada, Russia, Indonesia, to name a few. We even received a message of support from a research station in Antarctica this year.”
With various projects available for students to have signed up for, some of those projects included the following:
- Working in the community garden at Blue Heron Elementary in Littleton
- Cleaning up Clement Park in Littleton
- Maintenance work at Governor’s Ranch Elementary School in Littleton
- Remodeling with Habitat for Humanity Homes on High Street Homes in Denver
- Yard work with Jefferson County Open Space: Crown Hill Park in Wheat Ridge
- Working on the Summit Ridge Middle School community garden in Littleton
Due to the weather, hundreds of students focused their work inside the school. For instance, junior Corbin Dyer and some peers dusted trophy cases.
“I noticed how happy and joyous everyone was while they were serving their community,” said Dyer. “This, I believe, demonstrates what Columbine High School is all about.”
In 2019, Gov. Jared Polis signed a proclamation declaring that Colorado will observe a Day of Service and Recommitment on April 20 each year.
Over the years, more alumni have gotten involved with the day and even planned their own versions of the event at other schools or their places of employment.
Garkow said he loves the energy the day brings to the school and community.
“It’s something that a lot of people look forward to and my hope is that Columbine can serve as an example to other communities who have experienced unimaginable tragedy that there is a way forward and an ability to come back even stronger,” Garkow said.