Elias Brookings Elementary School in Springfield celebrated annual Peace Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Elias Brookings Elementary School in Springfield held its annual peace day Thursday morning by hosting law enforcement, first responders, safety, and military members.

This is a tradition almost a decade old and was once just an appreciation of Educational Support Officers from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department, now it is a much bigger event. The elementary school hosted dozens of local law enforcement, first responders, military, and safety personnel, all with the intent to promote positive relationships.

22News spoke with Reginald Green with the Hampden County Sherriff’s department who said that this day isn’t just a fun day, but it’s also important for the students to get a better understanding of the work they all do.

“They need to understand that we come out every day to give our lives and our soul for us to help them each and every day so that they can understand that this is what we do and most of us do it just because we want to do it.”

The students had the opportunity to try out a variety of different stations hosted by all the different personnel, including petting the horses, putting on a life jacket, and getting an inside look at an ambulance.

The Elias Brookings Elementary School also said that today is valuable for the students to be able to engage and create relationships with helpful members of the community.

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Heath Kalb is a reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Heath on X @HeathKalb and view his bio to see more of his work.

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