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Thursday, January 21, 2016 THE DOLPHIN 7

Sailors volunteer for Martin Luther King Jr. DayBy MC3(SW) Erin Hamilton

POMFRET, Conn.

- For the sixth con-secutive year, Sailorcommunity servicevolunteers from NavalSubmarine Base NewLondon (SUBASE) and

tenant commands cel-ebrated Martin LutherKing Jr. Day, a feder-al holiday recognizedas a national day ofservice, with studentsat the Rectory Schoolin Pomfret, Conn., Jan.18.

Sailors joined staff

and students with activ-ities such as basketballand cupcake decorat-ing, as well as otherevents focusing onmentorship.

We use this dayas a day on versusa day off, said FredWilliams, headmaster at The Rectory School.

We talk about Dr.King, his work, and theCivil Rights movementand try to connect hisefforts to our studentsand their lives today.

The morning start-ed with an assemblyin one of the schoolsperforming arts the-aters where studentswatched videos aboutthe civil rights move-ment, sang We ShallOvercome, and heardspeeches from theirpeers.

All students partici-pated in service activitieson and off campus, saidWilliams. They volun-teered at senior centers,the local Audubon cen-ter, and food shelters.In total our studentsengaged in over 40 dif-ferent projects.

Its amazing when

we can step in to helpkids learn and bethere for them, saidCryptologic Technician(Mechanical) 2ndClass Adrian Williams-McCray, assigned toNaval InformationOperations Detachmenton SUBASE. They areour future, so its greatwhen we can volunteerto help them to growand learn.

Throughout the daysevents and lunch, stu-dents were able to ask

Sailors about the mil-itary. Students werecurious about subma-rines, foreign ports,and food.

The Rectory Schoolopened in 1920 as anall-male institution.Currently the schooleducates about 300

international and local

boys and girls whileteaching them values ofresponsibility, respect,honesty and compas-sion - values that Kinginstilled in Americansas he too action withthe American civilrights movement in the1960s.

The King Holiday andService Act, passed byCongress and signed byPresident Bill Clintonon August 23, 1994,transformed the federalholiday into a day of

citizen action and vol-unteer service in honorof King.

For more informationon upcoming volunteeropportunities, pleasecontact MC3(SW) ErinHamilton in the SUBASEPublic Affairs Office at(860) 694-5980.

POMFRET, Conn. - Cryptologic

Technician (Mechanical)

2nd Class Adrian Williams-

McCray, center, assigned to

Naval Information Operations

Detachment plays basketball

with students at The RectorySchool in Pomfret, Conn., Jan.

18. Sailors joined students and

staff to observe a day of service

for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

POMFRET, Conn. - Cryptologic Technician (Mechanical) 2nd Class Adrian Williams-McCray, left,

assigned to Naval Information Operations Detachment gives basketball pointers to a Rectory School

student during a day of service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18.

POMFRET, Conn. - Cryptologic Technician (Mechanical) 2nd Class

Adrian Williams-McCray, center, assigned to Naval Information

Operations Detachment decorates cupcakes with students at The

Rectory School in Pomfret, Conn., Jan. 18. Sailors joined students

and staff to observe a day of service for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Photos byMC3(SW) Erin

Hamilton

Its amazing when we can step in to help kids learn and

be there for them. They are our future, so its great when

we can volunteer to help them to grow and learn.

CTM2 Adrian Williams-McCrayNIOD