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By Travis Gupton 

The Selma Times-Journal

Students and teachers from W.O. Parmer Elementary School in Greenville donated items to Selma City Schools in support of the district’s Operation Reignite from the January 12 tornado. The elementary school’s second graders, also known as peer helpers at the schools, collected items for over a month in order to help families in Selma. 

“One of our things is being a servant,” W.O. Parmer Elementary counselor and peer helper coordinator Lenicki Smith said. “Just to be people who help people. In this day and time, things are so difficult in the world for everybody. We go through a pandemic and people just need things. Whether it’s because of a natural disaster or it’s just because they have fallen on hard times. Some of these kids have experienced needing and wanting and not being able to have. For them to just be able to say hey at this point if I can do whatever I can for other people I will.”

After the tornado devastated Selma, city schools sent out flyers to schools around Alabama. One of those schools was W.O. Parmer and when they got the flyer they got to work. 

“When the tornadoes hit Selma we got a flyer about Selma City Schools Reignite,” Smith said. “Then they went into action. They sent out flyers and asked the students, the parents, and the community to bring what was on Selma’s list or whatever else they thought they needed. A lot of it was geared towards uniforms but we wanted to help the others in the community as well.” 

The school came to Selma High on April 14 with a busload of supplies and Selma Superintendent Dr. Zickeyous Byrd was grateful for the continued support that other schools are giving the city of Selma.

“We are so grateful for the outpouring of continued support from our neighbors and friends of Butler County Schools,” Byrd said. “Butler County has continued to wrap its arms around Selma and we are forever grateful.”