May 9, 2016 (Louisville, Ky.) – On Monday, May 16 at 10:30 a.m., the Reverend B.J. Breen, pastor of St. Leonard and St. Frances of Rome parishes, will bless a “Buddy Bench” at St. Leonard School (440 Zorn Avenue). The blessing will take place on the school playground. (In case of rain, the blessing will be held in the school gymnasium.)
The buddy bench is a simple idea that resulted in 2013 from the efforts of Christian, a first grade student in York, Pennsylvania. Christian saw a special bench on a playground at a school overseas and learned that it was designed to help students who feel lonely on the playground. After hearing its purpose, he successfully proposed such a bench for his own school, Roundtown Elementary. His idea spread and has yielded the creation of numerous other benches in the United States. This is the first bench in Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, see www.buddybench.org.
The preschool classes at St. Leonard are creating the buddy bench with the assistance of Kim Frazier-Pirog (owner of Side by Side Art Studio on Frankfort Avenue). Ms. Frazier-Pirog will assist with the design and painting of the bench.
According to school principal Mary Parola, “The buddy bench is a great idea designed to address loneliness and foster friendship on the playground. This concept of kindness and inclusion ties in perfectly with St. Leonard’s 2015-2016 school-wide theme of compassion.”
For more information, call: Laura Emly, 502/897-5265.
