2019 Blessing of The Students
Blessing of The Students (BOTS) is a one of a kind gathering held before the start of the school year. This even brings the community together in prayer to inspire students.
This year, elementary, middle school, high school and college students, school teams, community and church youth groups as well as their families were all invited to attend the event held Sunday, August 18, 2019, at the Grand Rapids Christian Eagles Stadium.
In this interview with BOTS founder, Mrs. Veruynca Williams, highlights the event's history, supporters, contributors, program participants and the record - breaking attendance.
GRT: Were you pleased with how this year's Blessing of The Students event turned out?
Williams: Yes, I was very pleased. It was wonderful. There were six area school superintendents, two college presidents, but we had the participation of five area colleges who were on program and supported the event: Grand Rapids Community College (President, Bill Pink), Kuyper College, Aquinas College, Cornerstone University. I found out that we had students participating who were from Calvin University.
GRT: Who were some of the people or organizations that gave their support?
Williams: The Executive Director of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, Steve Timmerman, pledged his personal support and the CRC of North America made a contribution of in - kind services. Dr. Patricia Pulliam and the staff at The Grand Rapids Times contributed media and in - kind support. Amplify GR was represented among those who attended our planning meetings and offered suggestions and made contributions to the event's success. The heart of Grand Rapids is still beating hard. Principals, students, Mom's In Prayer, Meijer's, Spartan Nash, Swift Printing and Trader Joe's, the Superintendents of Catholic Schools, Kentwood Schools, Wyoming Schools, as well as Grand Rapids Chief of Police, Eric Payne, and elected officials and pastors showed support. About seventy students who were a part of the Grand Rapids Public District's City High School Band performed.
GRT: This year, there was a record - breaking attendance. How did this event grow to become so large?
Williams: Twenty - six years ago, other parents and I whose children were going off to college started by having a prayer gathering for them. The next year, students asked us if we were going to pray for them. So it went from first - year college students to just saying every year to all students that we wanted them to have a flourishing, and safe, high - performance academic year. The numbers of supporters and attendees continued to grow more and more every year. You have some educators and administrators who are believers and will support anything that will help students. So they came to lend their support to the event.
GRT: What made this year's event so special?
Williams: The unique part is that we had students from different school districts and there was no mascot, football game, referee, or track meet where we were in competition. The keynote speaker was a high school senior, Zsana Jones, who is the grand daughter of the late, outstanding Grand Rapids Public School educator, Ruth Jones. Zsana did an excellent job. Then, we had the community — the police department, elected officials involved in school and it wasn't because of a headline where someone had gotten shot or killed. In other words, it was a very positive program.
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