Friday, January 30, 2004

Parklane Elementary benefits from MLK Day volunteers

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is a day off from work for many metro Atlantans, but it proved to be a day of work for Parklane Elementary School in East Point.

Nearly 30 alumni from local chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha and Alpha Kappa Alpha volunteered their day off on January 19 to improving the school’s inner and outer appearance. Volunteers painted educational symbols and decorations inside classrooms and hallways, while others painted exterior doors and touched up paint throughout the school.

The chapters were invited by Parklane Principal Lee Adams, who is an Alpha Phi Alpha alumnus. Board of Education Vice President Zenda Bowie ­ an Alpha Kappa Alpha alumna ­ also got into the volunteerism spirit by painting classrooms.

“A cheerful, clean school helps students perform at their best,” said Adams. “This service project has transformed many of our classrooms into bright and colorful places where children are excited about learning.”

The connection to his local fraternity also makes the project dear to Adams’ heart.

“I’m pleased that my fellow fraternity brothers and sorority sisters were able to come together and perform this service to the community,” he said. “Knowing that our work will make Parklane a better place of learning for my students makes the project all the more worthwhile.”

Alpha Phi Alpha volunteers (l-r) Thelvie Winston, Roy McClendon, Thelvie Winston Jr., and Damion Horn paint an exterior door at Parklane Elementary School.