INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Hundreds of volunteers in independence scrubbed, scraped and painted together on Saturday as part of Project Shine.
This is the seventh year for the annual spruce up for schools in the Independence School District.
Volunteers from local churches and civic organizations, along with teachers, parents and alumni worked at five different schools, including William Chrisman High School.
The superintendent says their day-long donation of time made a huge difference and saved the district a bundle.
“If you look at the last six years, just on manpower alone we have saved three quarters of a million dollars doing this. But it’s about more than the money,” said Superintendent Dale Herl. “It’s about bringing the community into our schools and we just have such a wonderful partnership with our community.”
“Part of the difference too is that all the kids that come to work come back and tell their friends that they painted this wall or did this landscaping,” said Sheri Wheaton, a teacher.
Over the past six years, more than eight thousand people have volunteered for Project Shine.
