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'Buddy bench' at Mt. Lehman Elementary

The project at the Abbotsford school was supported by monetary donations and volunteer labour.
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Sarah and some of her schoolmates test out the new buddy bench at Mt. Lehman Elementary.

Residents around Mt. Lehman may have noticed something different on the elementary school grounds in the last week.

It’s a new "buddy bench," based on an idea started by a Grade 2 student in Pennsylvania named Christian Buck, who wanted a place for students to go when they had no one with whom to talk or play.

Those students can go to the bench and be joined by another student to either stay and talk or go away together to play.

Sarah, a student at Mt. Lehman Elementary, saw a show about it on TV and thought it was a good idea for her school.

The Caslake family and the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group (GRGSG) then raised and donated funds towards the cost of the materials.

Abbotsford school district personnel donated their time and expertise to design and install the bench beside the school playground  – just in time for Sarah’s birthday.