9NEWS: Columbine High School marks 10th 'Day of Service' with community service projects

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Twenty-seven years after the tragedy at Columbine High School, students and staff are focused on kindness.

More than 1,200 Columbine students signed up to help out around the community as part of their 10th annual Day of Service Monday. 

At Governor's Ranch Elementary, students gave hallways and fences a fresh coat of paint. Elementary students also got to practice with Columbine's JV baseball team, among other service projects at other schools and nonprofits. 

It's all meant to honor the 13 lives that were lost and the 14th, Ann Marie Hochhalter, who died from injuries related to the shooting last year.

"Up until 2017, it was a day off for the staff, a professional development day. I think it was a day that a lot of people just kind of knew was coming but weren't really looking forward to it," Columbine teacher Jeff Garkow said.

He said in 2016, they started having conversations about what it could look like to reimagine the day. That's how the "Day of Service" was created. 

"How do we take a day that is a day with tragedy and turn it into something where we're celebrating the lives of the 13 who were lost at Columbine through acts of service, kindness, and love," Garkow said.

Now in its 10th year, Columbine's Day of Service has had more than 10,000 student volunteers and hundreds of projects. 

"There's a lot of students that just connect with the idea of kindness and love to their neighbors, and to have 1,200 students signed up to do one unified act on this day just speaks so much to the incredible community that we have here," Columbine teacher Sam Daley said.

Junior Jackson Majerus said the Day of Service is his favorite part about being a student at Columbine because it allows him to be a part of something larger than himself. 

"Gratitude for being a part of the kickoff and doing your service project. Gratitude for respecting and honoring all that have come before, all that are here now, and all that will come after, and just recommitting myself to service all throughout my life, starting at Columbine," he said.

Jackson said he's also working with Rep. Jason Crow and Sen. Michael Bennet to advance a resolution in Congress, recognizing the Columbine Day of Service.

"I would really encourage all students to get involved with Columbine Day of Service. Be a leader, and bring it to your own school, your own community," he said. 

Students and staff said they hope their Day of Service inspires the broader community to get involved. Go to ColumbineServes.org to get ideas and share your acts of kindness.