Turkey Trot opens door to pupils' service projects
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - A cold and rainy day did not stop the spirit of Thanksgiving as pupils at the Marlboro Elementary School, School Road West, participated in a Turkey Trot and donated items to people who are less fortunate than they are.

Pupils in grades one through five participated in a Turkey Trot on Nov. 19. The event was moved inside the school due to the inclement weather. Pupils participated in the race by donating food or supplies.

Children in each grade received a list of items to donate, including baby items, canned food, dry food, beverages, desserts and Thanksgiving food items, while teachers donated cleaning supplies and with personal hygiene products.

Principal Jon Shutman said there are many collections and community service activities held throughout the year at the school.

The act of giving started more than a dozen years ago at the Marlboro Elementary School when teacher Laura Fischer's fourth grade pupils were reading "The Family Under the Bridge" by Natalie Savage Carlson. This story is about a homeless family that lives in Paris, France.

The children were so moved by the story that they founded the Marlboro Elementary School Linkages Project, which organized different collections to provide support for the Linkages homeless shelter in Tinton Falls.

Over the years the Linkages Project has been awarded Coalition for Service Learning grants. The project grew to include the entire school.

First-graders were the last group to circle the building on the day of the Turkey Trot. Holding pictures they had created to show what they are thankful for, close to 125 children began two laps around the building. After that they enjoyed a snack and sang a Thanksgiving song.

As they proudly displayed their artwork, Dana Diserio, 6, and Paige Fontanes, 6, were thankful for their teacher, Judy Kramer.

"She teaches us a lot," Dana said.

Paige said Kramer was fun the first time she met her teacher. The two youngsters spoke excitedly about the research their class is doing on different animals.

The children's pictures showed they were also thankful for their bed, family, freedom and unconditional love. Gianna Fanelli was thankful for the world, but was a little shy to explain what made her choose such a big thing to be thankful for.

As the first-graders finished their snack and flapped their arms as wings along with a turkey song, the third, fourth, and fifth grade pupils were assembling across the hall in the gymnasium for a special assembly.

The focus of the assembly was community service and three students from Marlboro High School came to speak to the children.

Jared Brown, 16, Jake Meller, 16, and Brandon Wendel, 16, are all juniors at the high school and they take part in the Freehold Township Challenger program which "buddies" the volunteers with special needs children in a variety of team sports.

"The Challenger program is an incredible organization," said Jared, who is an alumni of the Marlboro Elementary School.

The boys spoke about the youngsters they work and play with in the Challenger program and described what it has taught them.

Brandon said he has greater respect for the children who are involved in the program, as well as for their parents.

Jake suggested that the Marlboro Elementary School pupils should consider being a volunteer in the Challenger program when they are older.

"It's the perfect chance to do community service and to have fun," Brandon said.

Physical education teacher and Turkey Trot organizer Patricia Mantone gave a presentation about an autistic child in the school district that she has worked with.

Mantone described how the boy had a love of running, which she discovered when he attended the Marlboro Elementary School. The pupils were in awe when Mantone recalled that they boy would run 30 to 40 laps around the school gym. The teacher proudly announced that the boy has participated in local 5-kilometer runs and is a member of his school's track and cross country teams.

Speaking about the need to help other people, Mantone said, "We must give our time, energy and talent. This can sometimes be worth more than monetary means."

Shutman spoke to the children about the importance of helping others.

"It makes the world a better place, but it makes you a better person," the principal said.