Santa Fe Trail Middle School – Smiles One Fist Bump at a Time!

By Ryan Forshee, Chapter Chair at Santa Fe Trail Middle School

On Friday, April 21st, a group of about twenty dads gathered to share a little kindness and encouragement to the students of Santa Fe Trail Middle School (SFT). Along with the help of Carmen’s Cocina II in South Olathe, Hy-Vee grocery store and one of our fellow fathers, we were able to supply the students and faculty of SFT with a fun grab and go breakfast.

Fathers converged on SFT from multiple schools in an effort to show the students of Santa Fe Trail Middle School their love and bring smiles to their faces as they closed out a great week of learning. As students entered the school from multiple entrances, they couldn’t make their way past the dads without receiving a smile and a fist bump, followed by breakfast burritos, grab and go snacks, and even donuts.

As kids normally enter their school every morning, often their heads are down and they’re moving slowly through the doors into the school. This Friday, very few students didn’t make eye contact with our team of fathers trying to show them love and encouragement. What an amazing community we live in! A community where dads can come together and show their support.

This was an opportunity for fathers to mentor young people from all walks of life and backgrounds. On that Friday, nobody saw the color of somebody’s skin or paid attention to language barriers. Nobody paid attention to the clothes that a child wore as they walked through the door. Why? Because we recognized that all are created equal, and all need to be loved and encourage the same way.

This event allowed us to show what this community is all about!

I’m so excited to be a part of such an amazing and diverse group of dads that are willing to stand in the gap, not just for the school and not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the students that we come to represent. Every student needs to know that they matter. Every student needs to know that they are valued. Every student needs to be encouraged and every student needs to feel loved. That’s what Santa Fe Trail Fathers Club is committed to doing. We will continue supporting the students that flow through the halls of Santa Fe Trail Middle School. Go Cyclones! We’re proud of you!