About a dozen children from around Greater Grand Rapids gathered at the Kent ISD Educational Services Center building to plant annuals in commemoration of World Refugee Day.
The children, who attend the West Michigan Refugee Education and Cultural Center’s after-school program, planted zinnias, marigolds, petunias and other annuals outside the building’s entrances.
They also took advantage of a patch of rarely-trodden lawn that was perfect for impromptu games of “duck duck goose” and “red light, green light.”
“This is also a way to thank our schools for all they do for our communities,” said Susan Kragt, the center’s executive director.
First marked in 2001, World Refugee Day is held every year on June 20 to recognize and honor the contributions of forcibly displaced people throughout the world, according to the office of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees.
The annual commemoration is marked by a variety of events in more than 100 countries.
Photos by Sidney Arcidiacono
