The South Rowan High School Future Farmers of America has a certain reputation in the school’s coverage area for taking on projects, large and small. With the coronavirus pandemic shutdown in place, not much had been happening with the Service South Rowan portion of the FFA group. In April, South Rowan FFA Adviser David Overcash stopped by Mault’s Texaco and asked if the Price of Freedom Museum would have any projects that the students could do. All based on when the museum would reopen.

Price of Freedom’s Bobby Harrison said, “Overcash told us that COVID had disrupted the school year and their ability to do service work. He asked about planting flowers in the front sign bed and David said that Bill Godley and Andre Cannon of Lawn Care Unlimited were working on a landscape plan.”

Harrison contacted Cannon, a neighbor to the museum who is also responsible for the museum’s lawn care, about how to proceed. Cannon and Godley furnished the plan, Harrison and museum founder Bob Mault approved it, and Overcash and his group got ready to go to work.

Godley’s Garden Center delivered the plants on Friday, May 7, and Overcash, several FFA alumni and the students arrived early Saturday, completed the planting and mulched the area with pine needles.

Godley said, “We were glad to be involved. The museum is such a treasure in our community, as are our veterans who are honored there. The completed project certainly dressed up the front of the museum.”

Harrison said, “I couldn’t believe how many students came and that they had printed T-shirts just for the day. The students then cleaned up a debris pile behind the school as well. They were energetic and smiling throughout the process. Afterwards, Bob and I gave the students a museum tour since most had not been back since the fifth grade, 5 or 6 years ago, when they attended on the regularly scheduled field trip. They were amazed at the changes and the completion of the auditorium, three-room house and Air Force and Marine rooms. All in all, it was a good experience for everyone involved.”

Service South Rowan offers FFA members an opportunity to give back in the community and learn about serving others in need.   Overcash said, “For a number of years, this project has helped the South Rowan community and this year, we are happy to partner with the Price of Freedom Museum.  Success of this event can be measured in both its completion as well as the development of students into citizens that embrace serving in the future. Many partners helped make our work a success, including Rowan County Farm Bureau and the South Rowan Y Service Club.”

Senior student Jason Greene said, “Service South Rowan is a wonderful opportunity for young people to serve those in need. The one component of Service South Rowan that I enjoy the most is the smile on the people’s faces when all the work is completed. Often our projects are different from this one, where the people that we serve are not able to perform the basic household needs as they previously did. This year we served at the museum by planting shrubs and flowers, cleaning up some trash that was on the grounds and spread pine needles over our plantings. When we were finished, the smile that Mr. Bobby Mault, founder of the museum, had on his face was a sign that we had made somebody very happy, and that our hard work was worthwhile.”

The Price of Freedom Museum will celebrate its post pandemic reopening with its annual D-Day remembrance on June 5.