STAFF EDITORIAL: Remember The Survivors On A "Day of Service and Love"
Broward County Schools closed early for a “Day of Service and Love” on February 14, 2024, the sixth anniversary of the tragedy that forever changed the lives of surviving families, students, faculty and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
A moment of silence was held in memory of the victims; their names were read over intercoms at schools throughout the district at 10:15 a.m. EST – the same moment on the clock when tragedy unfolded a few miles away just six years before.
Schools across the district remembered the day in positive, service-oriented ways.
There were students who created Starbucks coffee sleeves to commemorate our love of the community (they will be distributed at local Starbucks locations). Other students held peace walks. Students worked with food banks to provide food for needy families. There were ladybug releases, hand-painted “Service and Love” banners, and beautification projects on campuses throughout the county.
In spite of our service, our love of one another, our reminders to be tolerant, and of our mutual respect for people we know and those we have not yet met, we remember that today – and all those hereafter – will be painful ones for the family and friends of those they lost just a few miles away from our campus.
We honor these survivors. We remember their struggle to overcome, and we remember that life is a gift we should never take for granted. No amount of service and no amount of love can ease their pain, but the students here at Coconut Creek High School stand with them in solidarity.
February 14, 2018 was a day that started like any other. It ended as a day of sacrifice we will never, ever forget.
– Cougar Standard Staff
