volunteer Archives -

February 5, 2021January 25, 2021

Marjory Stoneman Douglas memorial events

February 12
Day of Service and Love

Only students and staff will be allowed on the grounds. It will be very similar to years past. This year’s seniors were freshmen when the shooting occurred on Valentine’s Day, 2018. There will be community service and campus projects, including campus beautification of Marjory’s Garden at the back of the school. There will also be a first responder’s breakfast.

February 14
Spreading The Love

10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center, 5655 Coral Ridge Dr.,Coral Springs.

Events will be outside in the parking lot, socially distanced. Masks are mandatory. Events will be centered on healing and “spreading the love” within the community. There will be arts and crafts, such as rock painting for the MSD Rock Garden, along with therapeutic activities like meditation and yoga. The families and community will have a space for grieving and remembering, with a candle lighting ceremony and benches. All clinicians will be present for individual counseling should the need arise. At the end of the day there will be a healing circle before transitioning to Pine Trails Park where the City of Parkland’s events will take place.

Pine Trails Park, 10555 Trails End, Parkland

The City of Parkland’s planned events will begin at 5:30 p.m. by the amphitheater. Social distancing and masks will be required. In lieu of an in-person service project as part of the Community Commemoration event, the City has collaborated with Food for the Poor on a fundraiser to build a home in an impoverished area of Honduras.

Therapists and the very popular therapy dogs from Canine Assisted Therapy will be available. 17 Memory Boards will be set up for people to write messages, with volunteers standing by to sanitize the permanent markers.

Spiritual Leaders will be taking the stage at 6 p.m., followed by a video presentation that focuses on the memory of the 17 people lost in the tragedy.

Virtual events
Run 4 Beigel – 5k Run/Walk
February 6 – February 14, 2021
https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Parkland/Run4Beigel

NSU – 3 Years Later #MSDStrong
12 p.m., February 12
https://www.nova.edu/alumni/events/index.html

Make Our Schools Safe – #LIVEFORALYSSA Benefit
7 to 8:30 p.m. February 11
https://makeourschoolssafe.org/2nd-annual-live-for-alyssa-benefit/

Chris Hixon Memorial 5k Run/Walk
February 20, 2021
https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Hollywood/ChrisHixonMemorialRun

January 29, 2021January 20, 2021

Parkland Mayor Rich Walker

In February we honor Black History all month long. We also honor President’s Day and Valentine’s Day. Sadly, in our community this will also be a reminder of the horrific tragedy that took place. On Sunday, February 14, we will commemorate the third anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in a ceremony at Pine Trails Park. As we come together to remember those we lost, it is yet another example of Parkland families and the larger community uniting when it matters most.

We have seen many examples of this in recent years in an attempt to effect positive change. And, of course, our community is forever grateful for the strength that our families continue to demonstrate as they work toward safer schools and safer communities—not just here, but nationwide.

Mental wellness continues to be a vital focal point for our residents as we all continue to work through everything we have endured. We have many partners locally who can assist such as Broward Children’s Bereavement Center, and Eagles’ Haven.

Visit cityofparkland.org/MentalWellness for more resources and let’s continue to take care of one another. We cannot afford to overlook the greatest resource we have—one another.

January 1, 2021December 28, 2020

Parkland Mayor Rich Walker

As we turn the calendar page on another year, one thing that we
can all agree on is that 2020 was indeed memorable in an unprecedented manner.

Adversity unveils a myriad of character traits, one of which remains constant within our community: Resiliency.

This current global pandemic has exemplified the continuous strength and neighborly unification that we should pride ourselves on. In Parkland, we truly embrace and care for one another. I have witnessed it first hand — neighbors helping others via food collections, blood drives, backpack, holiday events, and many unique volunteer efforts.

We have postponed and canceled events when our hearts were set upon them, as this was best for our community.

Activities that we continue to conduct have often been dramatically adjusted to accommodate the unique time in which we are living. It has not been easy, but our community has once again risen to the occasion.

I have lived in Parkland for some time now and this is not necessarily new information to me, but it is always nice to have a reminder of how incredibly special our city is.

Of course, we must stay the course and continue to follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but I am proud of our community for acting responsibly in a time of uncertainty.

So, with the holidays behind us, as we begin anew in 2021, perhaps the task of flipping the calendar page to another year can be as much a symbolic gesture in our lives as it is a monthly habitual task we carry out on the calendars in our homes.

This can be, not just a time of new year’s resolutions, but a time of renewed enthusiasm to continue to act responsibly and do our part to contribute to a return to normalcy.