The parish council school committee of SS. Philip and James Parish in Canal Fulton (Stark County) held a “Bicentennial Clean-a-thon” in September of 1976 to get the school ready to open for its biggest enrollment ever, including a new kindergarten. The parish custodian who would have done the work was ill. Volunteers paid 25 cents admission (Tom Sawyer-style) for the privilege of working. Father John Cunningham, pastor, called the project an excellent example of parish spirit. Seen here, left to right, are Mrs. James Joyce, Parents Club president; Ted Mosko; and Anne Reis, new principal. The goal was to clean the school and, at the same time, to create a unifying force in the parish. As one participant put it, “It’s not hard to love a person who is working with you to clean your child’s classroom.” From the files of the Catholic Exponent.
