Parent Teacher Magazine Union County Public Schools March 2015 | Page 9

Piedmont SRO, art students gift dollhouse to child

When Piedmont High School Resource Officer David Ludlow
made an American Girl Dollhouse for the daughter of a friend
with terminal cancer, he had no way of knowing it would evolve
into a school-wide community service project.
Overwhelmed by the kind gesture, Ludlow’s friend, Doug
Dent, and his wife Jennifer, decided to pay it forward by funding
a dollhouse for another deserving young girl. Materials for the
dollhouse, which is six feet high, eight feet wide and 22 inches
wide, cost $800.
Following his friend’s generous offer, Ludlow began a second
dollhouse this past fall, but this time, he enlisted the help
of Piedmont High’s National Art Honor Society students who
decorated and made furniture for the house.
“It’s neat to get students involved,” said Piedmont High
art teacher Tracy Price. “Even after they graduate they could
continue to help out by contributing materials. It’s teaching
them to pay it forward.”
The second dollhouse was given to Addison Williams recently
during a surprise presentation at Piedmont High School. Her
parents, Anson Middle School SRO Patty Williams and her
husband, Anson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jimmy Williams, were on
hand when the unveiling occurred.
“It means so much,” Patty said. “I had no idea. I think its
amazing for these young people to give to someone they’ve
never met before. You just don’t know what this means. This is
something she would have never seen in her lifetime.”
Savannah Collins, a 15-year-old 10th grade National Art
Honor Society student, and her mom made a blanket for the
American Girl Doll that lives in the dollhouse. She also made a
table and helped decorate one of its bedrooms.
“I think this is a pretty cool opportunity to make t