Virginia and Richard Luttrell are like a lot of people in the world: on October 29th, 2012, they watched and waited to see what devastation Hurricane Sandy would bring to the East Coast of the United States. As the news reports came in, they were overcome with emotion as they saw the town that they had called home for most of their lives ravaged by the storm.

This is not an uncommon story for people in the Charlotte area. All many of us have to do is to look to our right or to our left in our neighborhood and we will see a family transplanted here from New Jersey or New York.

The Luttrells are one of those families.

Debbie Butler, Principal of St Mark Catholic School in Huntersville, was also watching news coverage of the devastation and understood immediately that she wanted to rally the school community to do something to help. She knew just who to call on to make it happen—Virginia and Richard Luttrell, whose children attend St Mark Catholic School. What happened after that is truly an inspiring story.

As soon as they realized the damage that befell their community and received Mrs. Butler’s request to spearhead the school’s response, the Luttrells began organizing a relief effort. They contacted their former church, Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Middletown, NJ, to find out the best way that they could help and began reaching out to their new church and school community here in Huntersville: Saint Mark Catholic Church and School.

The school community immediately embraced the Luttrells’ call for help and began a fundraising and supply drive. Within one day of announcing the relief effort, more than $3,000 had been raised. Word spread and people from the church also began to contribute. Very soon, the entire lobby of the school was filled with donated supplies.

More than 100 large boxes were filled with toiletries, cleaning supplies, non-perishable foods, coats, blankets, pet supplies and clothing.

“We were so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support we received from everyone,” said Virginia Luttrell. “We never imagined that our request for help would result in so much, so fast.”

As the donations kept coming in, a new problem evolved: how to get the supplies to New Jersey. The answer came in the form of Melissa Donahue, a parent of two Saint Mark students, who was working with Robby Gordon Motorsports on a relief effort of their own.

While Robby Gordon Motorsports was collecting items, they did not have a contact in New Jersey to receive their donations. Likewise, the Saint Mark effort had items and a church in need but did not have a truck large enough to transport the donations.

Robby Gordon Motorsports volunteered the use of their truck and both collection efforts were combined into one.

What started just two weeks ago as a grassroots desire to help, has resulted in thousands of donated dollars; a partnership between Saint Mark Catholic School and Robby Gordon Motorsports; and a tractor trailer filled with supplies that left town on the morning of Wednesday, November 14, 2012 and arrived at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Middletown, New Jersey later that evening. The supplies are slated to be distributed to people in the communities served by St Mary’s Catholic Church, many of whom lost everything in storm and have been staying in shelters or in damaged homes without power for weeks.

But the Luttrells have only just started. Many people are still in need and Christmas is right around the corner. They are now focusing their attention on rallying the school and community one more time for a toy drive that began on November 14, just hours, after the tractor trailer left Charlotte for Middletown, NJ.

Those who would like to help, can drop off new toys and books in the lobby of Saint Mark Catholic School through December 7, 2012. The school is open M-F from 8 am - 3:30 pm and is located at 14750 Stumptown Road in Huntersville, NC.

After spending days sorting through donations, packing boxes and coordinating the delivery of much needed items, Virginia Luttrell was asked to reflect on the experience of seeing so many reach out to help people they don’t even know. Without hesitation, Luttrell simply said, “God is good.”
 

On November 5, 2012 the second graders at St Mark Catholic School in Huntersville were saints—literally.  In what has become an annual tradition at the school, all 81 second graders dressed up as a favorite saint and lead the school-wide mass, which was attended by more than 800 people.

Fr. Matthew Codd, Parochial Vicar of St Mark Catholic Church, celebrated the mass and used the time during the homily to speak to the students about the virtuous ways in which the saints lived their lives.

The mass is a culmination of a month-long project for the second grade students.  At the beginning of October, each student chose a saint who had personal meaning for them.  The students spent the month researching the life of their saint and completing a detailed written report.  Each student also created a poster for their saint, which was a visual representation of the facts that they learned through their research.

“For most second graders, this is the first experience with a research project,” said Amanda Thompson, one of the three second grade teachers as St Mark.  “Through this project, students learn how to access information and put it into words, but they also gain a greater insight into their Catholic faith by learning about the various ways that the saints devoted their lives to God.”

While the second grade mass celebrating the saints has been a long standing tradition at St Mark Catholic School, this year’s observance is particularly relevant in conjunction with Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration of this year as a “Year of Faith” within the Catholic Church.  As part of the “Year of Faith,” Catholics of all ages are encouraged to share their faith with others.  For these second graders, learning about the saints who devoted their entire lives to spreading God’s word is the ultimate lesson on how each person is called to be an Evangelist for Christ.

Saint Mark Catholic School elementary and middle school students took a visible stand against drugs as they celebrated Red Ribbon Week which takes place October 23-31. Trading in their regular uniform shirts on Thursday, October 25 for red shirts, the school’s hallways, classrooms and playgrounds were filled with students donning red shirts in honor of the importance of being drug free.

Red Ribbon Week is a national initiative that raises awareness of drug use and the problems related to drugs facing our community. It is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in the nation reaching millions of young people. It encourages parents, educators and other community organizations to promote drug-free lifestyles.

Students as young as first grade received age-appropriate information on how to stay away from poison and prescription drugs in their homes. Older students learned about prescription drug abuse as well as alcohol and illicit drug use. All students created classroom posters filled with drug-free messages. The posters along with Red Ribbon banners and ribbons will line the school’s hallways throughout the week.

Saint Mark’s three Guidance Counselors Renee Birch, Peggy Palasick and Ann Miles presented the program to the students and worked together to make sure that each and every child in the school signed a pledge to be drug free.

 “The theme for this year’s Red Ribbon Week is "The Best Me is Drug Free". Not only is it a fun and positive program to teach about destructive behaviors it also fulfills part of the North Carolina Essential Standards Common Core Curriculum to teach students about tobacco, alcohol, and drug prevention, ” said Birch.

Research shows that children are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs when parents and other role models are clear and consistent in their opposition to substance use and abuse.

For more information on Red Ribbon Week visit www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com .

The St. Mark 6th grade class led the entire school in praying a Living Rosary on Thursday, October 4, 2012, at 1:30 pm. Monsignor Richard Bellow from St. Mark Catholic Church opened the ceremony which was held outside in the school’s courtyard.

Now in its 10th year, this very prayerful school tradition is known as a Living Rosary. A Living Rosary is prayed in the same way as a regular rosary. However, rather than everybody sitting in a traditional setting, the community sits in a circle and forms the rosary with their bodies.

“My favorite part of this year was standing by the kindergarteners and watching them with their little beads and praying,” said Neva Westmoreland a parent-volunteer who organized this year’s prayer. “The sixth graders did a great job leading the school community – what an amazing thing it is to watch all of these kids saying such a powerful prayer on such a beautiful day.”

Nearly 800 students, staff, clergy and parents filled the St. Mark Catholic School courtyard to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary which is traditionally celebrated during the beginning of October.

The school comes together twice a year to pray the Living Rosary. The next Living Rosary will take place in May.