MULLICA HILL — Concerned about victims of the latest hurricanes, 8th graders at Friends School Mullica Hill wanted to do something to help. Their idea was to take the annual talent show, normally held during school hours, and transform it into FriendStock, a Friday evening benefit concert.
“We wanted to help make up for the things that they lost,” said 8th Grader Xavier Hamilton. “That’s Quaker values. That’s what we do.”
The result was a packed gym on Oct. 27 and a full lineup of dancing, singing and a variety of performances from both students and teachers. The whole school pulled together to try to make it a fun and memorable night.
Even Interim Head of School Matthew Bradley hit the stage and performed a lively duet of “Anything You Can Do” with music teacher Kate Hayden. “I am still humming the songs,” said Bradley. “The event was a great success in bringing together the extended Friends School Mullica Hill community, including current students of all ages, alumni, faculty, family members, and friends of the school, in support of a worthy cause.”
Students collected donations at the door and ran vendor booths, selling snacks and handmade crafts like magnets and bracelets. After the final tallies, the kids at the Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade school raked in $2,162 for AdoptAClassroom.org’s Hurricane Relief Fund and $290 for the Humane Society’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Eighth Grader Zachary Brosky sees this kind of service work as just part of the ethos of the school. “As a Friends School, it’s important that we try our best to help – it’s what our school’s all about.”
