High School Wounded Warrior Club Helps Patriot Point

Patriot Point recently welcomed a group of 30 high school students for a service day of learning.

 

The South River High School Wounded Warrior Club, which raises funds to support injured service members, visited Patriot Point to learn about how it helps recovering service members, their families and caregivers.

 

The students and two teachers spent the morning working on a variety of projects around the property, including picking up three bags of debris from the beach, stacking firewood and cleaning up the greenhouse.

 

Following a tour of the expansive property and a discussion of how guests benefit from visiting Patriot Point, the group had the opportunity to participate in some of the activities afforded Patriot Point guests, including taking out kayaks and paddle boards.

 

“It was really a cool experience,” said teacher Josh Carroll, who is the club’s faculty advisor. “So many of our kids walked away saying it was their best field trip ever.”

 

The visit ended with the group congregating around the dining table in Patriot Point’s Main House, brainstorming fundraising ideas and trying to figure out how they might be able to help. Carroll said that students plan to put together a social media campaign before the end of the school year.

 

Declan McKenna, the club’s president, is in his third year as a club member. His older brother, Jack, was in the club and it seemed like a natural fit when Jack got to high school. 

 

“I joined a bunch of clubs and didn’t do a whole lot, but when I joined this club, the work they were doing was amazing and the output in the community was incredible,” Declan said. “We have so many club members constantly looking for new things to do in the community.”

 

The Wounded Warrior Club is in its 10th year at the Anne Arundel County school. Carroll, who has been the club’s advisor since its inception, said it started with just four students and has steadily grown to have 79 members this school year. Many of the students have family who have served or have family who work at the U.S. Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis.

 

The Club typically participates in two or three events per month, Carroll said.

 

“I did not serve. My dad is a Vietnam veteran and his side of the family has quite a history of military service. My mom’s parents were both in the Navy,” said Carroll, who is in his 27th year as a teacher, the past 20 at South River. “I’ve always admired them – my dad, my grandparents, my cousins who served. This was a tiny piece of the puzzle that I could do to make a difference. It’s been, quite honestly, the best part of my job since then.”