Sharing Our Hope

Air Conditioners Donated to Michigan School

By Louise Wrege

STUDENTS RETURNING TO FAIR PLAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL RECEIVED A COOL RECEP-

TION. Several area pastors donated and installed almost 20 air conditioners throughout the school Friday, Aug. 27.

“By the end of the day, every classroom will have AC, along with the offices,” said Abraham Henry, Youth director for the Lake Region Conference.

“This all came together very fast,” he said. On his day off on Wednesday, Henry was working as a substitute at the school when principal Kelvin Butts told the staff that it would be nice to have air conditioning.

“I heard the principal and his vision, and it was amazing,” Henry said. “He wanted every student to come back to a cool, comfortable environment in which to learn.”

He immediately started making phone calls and, by the end of the day, there was enough money and donated units for each classroom.

Don Campbell/Herald-Palladium

E Abraham Henry (fourth from left), Lake Region’s Youth director, noted that several pastors deserved special recogntion for helping install the cooling units. Pictured from left to right: Clifford Wallace, Eric Jean Baptiste, David Springer, Abraham Henry, Kelvin Butts (Fair Plain Middle School principal), Leon George, Daniel Milard. Missing is Claval Hunter.

“Through the grace of God and the selflessness of pastors, churches and members, we were able to meet this need by raising $2,700 in just four hours. At 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Adventist pastors transported 12 AC units and 8,000 masks to the Fair Plain Middle School. We then prayed for the new principal and his wife’s success in the school district,” Henry said.

He shared that the pastors he had called agreed to help without hesitation.

“That’s just the spirit of these guys,” he said. “It’s amazing. If there’s a need, they are there.”

Henry said the Lake Region Conference Youth Department donated 12 air conditioners, with three others being donated by Home Depot and another two supplied by Lowe’s. On the following Friday, six pastors returned to the school to help with the difficult task of installing most of the units.

Butts said having cooler classrooms will make a huge difference.

“Tempers flare when it’s hot,” he said. “We’re not just making them comfortable—we’re creating a more conducive environment for learning.”

Rebecca Shagonaby said she’s worked as a special education teacher in the district for 14 years and has never had air conditioning.

“It can be hot for up to six weeks,” she said. “This is awesome. We’re very appreciative of this.”

Ian Mosher, an eighth-grade English teacher, said he’s thankful for the air conditioning.

“The kids come in and say they can’t do this because it’s hot,” he said. “They can now focus on what I’m trying to teach.” P

Louise Wrege, Herald-Palladium writer. Original story ran Aug. 28, 2021 and was reprinted with permission from the Herald Palladium, St. Joseph, Mich.