These O'Fallon students marched for school safety. Now they're helping pay for it.
O'Fallon Township High School has more money in its coffers for safety efforts after student leaders from the local March For Our Lives chapter donated leftover funds following their march earlier this spring.
O'Fallon's was one of 500 chapters from across the country to be awarded a $5,000 grant from Everytown For Gun Safety, an organization that dispersed $2.5 million total nationwide to promote the march.
The event was a part of a global movement advocating for school and gun safety in the wake of school shootings across the nation. The demonstrations came just six weeks after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14, where 17 people — 14 of whom were teens — died.
Marcus Daniel, who graduated from OTHS in May and was one of the O'Fallon chapter student leaders, said March For Our Lives O'Fallon has one primary goal, "Making our schools safe again."
Daniel, along with fellow OTHS students Claire Wilcox, Patrick Murphy, and other organizers, spearheaded the formation of the local chapter, and encouraged the 400 attendees at the March 24 protest in downtown O'Fallon to turn to their elected officials to impose stricter gun laws to protect school students.
O'Fallon Police Chief Eric Van Hook said he was "pleased with how peaceful and well-organized" the march turned out.
March organizers said they spent $3,500 on march-related expenses, like paying for four police officers, as well as other expenses, like advertising, banners, printed posters, protective rain gear, rental of the stage and speakers, as well as photography services.
While the organizers' event permit was approved by the City Council in early March with four officers being assigned, Van Hook said he opted to increase police presence as a precautionary measure and to address City Council members and residents' concerns. The services of the additional four officers were not charged to the group, according to O'Fallon Police Lt. David Matevey.
The group did not pay a fee for the speaker, Mary Kay Mace, the mother of a student who died in a school shooting in 2008 at Northern Illinois University, to participate in the event, but as a courtesy, they covered her single-night hotel room expense.
The March For Our Lives O’Fallon chapter donated the $1,500 it had left back to the school.
"This small donation is meant to help improve OTHS' ability to be as prepared as possible in case a school shooting were to happen right here in O'Fallon," Daniel said.
"We admire the passion of our students to become involved in efforts that are intended to make schools more safe and are appreciative of the financial support to increase safety at OTHS," said OTHS Superintendent Dr. Darcy Benway.
"It is great to hear that Claire Wilcox (and the chapter) is making such a donation to OTHS for security improvements," Lt. Matevey said.
OTHS faculty and staff have already completed O'Fallon Police-sponsored active-shooter, which is free, but Benway told the Progress previously that the district plans to hold annual trainings starting next school year. Those include:
▪ Creation of videos for student training programs, including: intruder procedures for common areas in the school; the 4 E's: Educate, Evade, Escape, Engage (run, hide and fight); and "See Something, Say Something."
▪ Sending school security officials and personnel to workshops to learn the latest strategies, techniques, trends and options regarding safety in schools.
▪ Faculty and staff training on mental health to identify troubled students to prevent the escalation of behaviors that result in safety concerns.
This story was originally published June 13, 2018 at 11:42 AM with the headline "These O'Fallon students marched for school safety. Now they're helping pay for it.."