Gov. Patrick Rallies Project 351 Student Service Volunteers In Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- More than 400 eighth graders representing the commonwealth's 351 cities and towns launched their year of service Saturday in Boston as Project 351 ambassadors.
Gov. Deval Patrick hosted a full day of service and enrichment for the students, including a morning Town Meeting at historic Faneuil Hall, an afternoon of service at nonprofit organizations across Boston, and a closing "call to service" at the Statehouse.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Kim Tunnicliffe reports
Gov. Patrick Rallies Student Service Volunteers In Boston
The day began with the Town Meeting, which Orchard Gardens first-graders highlighted with an abbreviated recitation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. Orchard Gardens, which is located on Albany Street, serves students from kindergarten to eighth grade.
The governor, who was moved to tears by the first-graders' performance, paraphrased a quotation from King to encourage the students to do whatever they can to better their communities. "All you need is a heart filled with grace, a soul motivated by love," he said.
Founded in 2011, Project 351 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating youth leadership, inspiring the ethic of service, and building unity across the commonwealth, according to a prepared statement from the group.
