Cadets in the Atlantic Police Academy’s Police Science program volunteered to plant trees at the International Children’s Memorial Place in South Freetown, PEI, recently.

The purpose of the International Children’s Memorial Place is to promote and foster the health and well-being of individuals and families who grieve for the physical or emotional loss of a child. The peaceful gardens feature memorial trees, a brick walkway of remembrance, and the Legacy Sculpture.

Cadet Connor MacInnis said the cadets found the experience deeply moving.

"The experience of volunteering for such a cause was truly worth our time and hard work, it certainly touched me going through the rows of trees seeing the names of those who were lost. The gentleman who showed us around emphasized that it wasn’t a place of sadness, but rather, it was a place of peace and healing, and the beautiful scenery certainly proved him right," he said.

Forrest Spencer, executive director of the Atlantic Police Academy, said the cadets volunteer in several initiatives through out their training.

“I appreciate the time and enthusiasm our cadets put into these projects,” he said. “We tend to get more out of volunteer experiences such as these than we put into them, and I know the cadets found this to be the case at the International Children’s Memorial Place.”

For more information about programs at the Atlantic Police Academy, visit hollandcollege.com/apa. For more information about International Children’s Memorial Place visit www.icmplace.ca.

In this picture:
Front row (L-R): Taylor Marcil, Kennedie Ogden, Cameron MacDonald, Adam MacDonald, Connor MacInnis. Back row (L-R): Dylan Payson-Rideout, Brandi Belliveau, Cass Barnaby