Nearly 300 students from Mater Christi, Christ the King, Saint Francis Xavier and Rice Memorial High Schools united on Sunday, October 5th, 2014 for a never-been-done-before Flash Mob at the top of Church Street, Burlington. By coming together as one, the four schools showcased the spirit, energy and enthusiasm of the local Catholic school community.

Students, from pre-school to high school seniors, sang and danced to “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors and “Go Make a Difference” by Steve Agrisano. “Go Make a Difference” truly became the anthem of the event and the schools wanted to highlight how Catholic schools make an impact on the community.

Every year, students from Mater Christi, Christ the King, Saint Francis Xavier and Rice Memorial High Schools serve their neighbors through many non-profit organizations and events such as COTS, the Salvation Army, Joseph’s House, Ronald McDonald House, The Burlington Boys and Girls Club, King Street Youth Center, Mercy Connections, Meals on Wheels, The American Red Cross, Mahana Magic Foundation, CROP Hunger Walk, St. Joseph’s Residential Care, Toys for Tots, Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, Winooski Food Shelf, The Lund Home, Habitat for Humanity, Vermont Special Olympics and many more. Last year alone Rice students did more than 20,000 hours of community service and for the past eight years, Rice raised more money for the CROP HUNGER WALK than any other high school in the continental United States.

The four local Catholic schools are proud that they can make a positive difference and hope to inspire many people to make a difference too!

Mater Christi School would just like to thank everyone who helped make this event a success:

School Coordinators: Christy Bahrenburg (Rice), Jon Hughes (CKS), Robin McCormick (SFX), Sarah Lavoie (MCS) and Kaitlyn Dorey (MCS).
Choreographer: Shelly Barrett (Rice)
Music Instructors: Kristin Marchilena (CKS), Noreen Pelchat (SFX) and Matthew O’Neil (MCS)
Band Instructor: Barb Heath (MCS Drumline)
Videographer and Publicity: Jackie Stacey (Rice)
Flash Mob Logo and T-Shirt Design: Becky Wetzel and Jane McCormick (Rice and SFX parents)

Thank you to Hillary Boardman (MCS Alumni) and Kerin Stackpole (former MCS parent) for allowing access to commercial lobby spaces to “hide” kids at the top of Church Street. Thank you to Ed Cawley (MCS Parent) at Amalgamated Culture Works for the great price on t-shirts. Thank you to all of the students who have been singing, dancing, practicing and for participating in the Flash Mob. Lastly, thank you to the many very dedicated parents and volunteers who helped with choreography, the band, recording and for coming together to cheer on “the mob” of kids.