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Liberty's Legacy program makes lasting impact

The Liberty’s Legacy group arrived on campus at West Elementary School on Tuesday, April 19, and used their “Super Citizen” program to teach second-grade students what it means to be an American citizen who contributes to society and the community.

A number of the students stood during the ceremony to honor local heroes that each class nominated.

Russellville City Schools had been planning for the Liberty’s Legacy group to visit since back in September of 2015. It was a long and demanding process, but one that was definitely rewarding for everyone involved.

“It’s about hearing those kids tell stories about the contributions from people in our community, and it really teaches these kids to give back,” said Deanna Hollimon, principal at West Elementary. “It’s just a celebration of what a ‘Super Citizen’ really is.”

Hollimon was not the only one touched or inspired by the presentation from the children that morning. Brittany Sykes, a teacher at West Elementary, was moved to tears when she was honored by a class of second-grade students. Sykes was recognized for her actions during an incident she will most certainly never forget, when a child stopped breathing in a local store and Sykes responded to a mother’s plea for help by administering CPR to save the young child’s life.

“Absolutely, not only can I not forget the event that got me here and for what I was being honored, but for them to do what they’ve done for me makes me so happy,” Sykes said.

Sykes was not the only individual to be recognized at the Liberty’s Legacy event. Also honored were Alabama state trooper LaMarcus Baker, Russellville mayor David Grissom and Franklin County district attorney Joey Rushing, among others.

“It was an honor,” Baker said. “You know, doing this job, a lot of the time you don’t get any appreciation for what you do. For these kids to show me this much appreciation, well, it really touched my heart, to be honest.”

It did not take long to figure out hoe influential something like this really is for everyone involved. Administrators, teachers and even visitors were crying or on the verge of tears throughout the course of the morning. There was a sense of purity and innocence to the production from the second-graders as they shared personal stories about their respective heroes.

“You see how much of an impact it has on people when you have your principal against a wall crying and other people trying to fight back the urge to cry,” said Heath Grimes, RCS superintendent.

Grimes went on to say that he has high hopes that this will become an annual event for the second-grade class at West Elementary. He also said he hopes to eventually include third-grade students in the program. He’s not alone, as both Hollimon and West Elementary At-Risk coordinator Jason Walker pledged their support of the idea.

The only thing that could possibly derail those plans for expansion is lack of funding from the community. Luckily, students at West Elementary were able to enjoy this year’s program thanks in part to the efforts of Matt Cooper, CB&S Bank executive vice president and chief sales officer. G&G Steel, Inc. also played a major role in providing funding for the ceremony. Grimes, Hollimon and Walker all sounded optimistic when discussing their hopes for renewing the partnership with the Liberty’s Legacy group.

From learning about their civic duties as American citizens to chanting “USA!” loudly in the cafeteria to honoring their respective heroes, the students who took part in the “Super Citizens” program were greatly impacted by the Liberty’s Legacy group, as were many of the parents and teachers present. As long as funding is available, West Elementary will once again partner with the Liberty’s Legacy group to teach children the fundamental values of being a “Super Citizen,” having character and becoming true heroes.

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