Weymouth Primary School Hosts 'Buddy Bench' Dedication
WEYMOUTH (CBS) -- Parents who've lost their children have dedicated a "buddy bench" at a Weymouth primary school so that other kids won't feel lonely.
When her 13-year-old son Colin died more than a year ago, Lisa Maroney kept hearing stories about how he would stand up for other kids. So, when she learned about the buddy bench, she thought that was a great way to honor her son's memory.
"Like an old soul," she told WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey at the bench dedication at Thomas Hamilton Primary School in Weymouth on Wednesday, referring to Colin. "He just had that spirit about him. I just thought this was so appropriate and it couldn't have been a better dedication for him."
It works like this: a bench is placed at a playground and if a student is feeling lonely or doesn't have friends, he or she sits there. The idea is other kids who are playing nearby will see that, come over and ask the child to join them.
It may sound far-fetched, but third-grader Olivia Godfrey says it worked for her just last week.
"When I sat on the buddy bench, my friend came and sat on the bench, too," she says.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
