T HE G REEN W AVE G AZETTE
P AGE 4
Saying Goodbye to AHS
From the
1966 AHS
yearbook.
The memories will remain
KerryCardinal‘20
Contributor
“I made all my
high school
memories
there.”
Shannon
Cardinal ’14
Abington High School has been
standing for a long 52 years and is
soon to be torn down and replaced
by a bigger and more advanced
school for the 2017-2018 school
year. AHS students, former and
present, seem to have mixed emotions about their beloved school
being replaced.
Shannon Cardinal who graduated in
2014 shared her opinion about the
new school. The new school is by far
not what she wanted. “I made all my
high school memories there; the
ones I will never forget,” said Cardinal. She also claimed that tearing the
building down will be like “tearing
away all my teenage years.”
Current student Molly Donovan
graduates in 2017. Not having the
old building to remind her of all
the good times seems a little too
final for her. “I’m sad I won’t get
the chance to attend the new
school, but if I had a say, I would
want the current school to stay. I
want to be able to come back
when I’m older and look back on
all of our memories here,” said
Donovan.
It seems memories are a trend
many are grieving over. Kerry
Frye-Rodriguez who graduated in
1992 agreed that it was heartbreaking to see her memories torn
down along with the building. However, she did think it was “about
time for a new school.” The town
clearly agreed with Rodriguez that a
new school was necessary, voting
overwhelmingly for it back in 2014.
Looking upon it, it is clear that a
bountiful amount of memories will
forever stand where today’s high
school does. As the new high school
goes up, students past and present,
should cherish their time left with
the current Abington High School,
and look forward to continuing the
legacy of the Abington Green Wave
at the brand-new school.
The Jeff Coombs Memorial Foundation :
Helping the Community for 15 Years
Liberty Woods ‘20
Contributor
Christie Coombs with the 2014 Jeff
Coombs Memorial Scholarship recipients.
(GWG)
“When people do
nice things for
you, you do nice
things back.”
Christie Coombs
After her husband Jeff Coombs was killed
on Flight 11 during the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, Christie Coombs
and her family needed support from their
community. Now, the Jeffrey coombs
memorial Foundation helps families who
are faced with similarly difficult situations.
After the tragedy, Mrs. Coombs and their
three children, Matthew, Meaghan and
Julia, wanted to help out other families in
need. The Coombs felt like they had been
given so much support that they wanted
to give back the same kind of support and
love to those in need. “When people do
nice things for you, you do nice things
back,” said Mrs. Coombs.
The family started raising money for the
foundation a few months after the tragedy, but they continue to be surprised that
it continues. "We never thought it would
last long and be as successful as it is today,” said Mrs. Coombs.
Today, the Jeff Coombs Foundation
assists families who are faced with deaths,
sickness, and financial hardships. The
foundation raises money by organizing big
fundraising events, such as the wellknown Jeff Coombs Memorial Road
Race, Walk and Family Day that takes
place the second weekend of September
in Abington, starting and finishing at the
Woodsdale school where family fun
activities occur throughout the day. The
road race raises about $30,000 annually,
and anyone can run, walk, or just hang
out at the event.
schools, as well as family and student
grants. The foundation has raised more
than $450,000 in grants and scholarships.
The Jeffrey Coombs Memorial Foundation holds many other fundraising events
annually, like Christmas tree sales, the Jeff
Coombs Memorial Auction, holiday
parties for military families, and the
Memorial Day Candlelight Vigil. It also
awards scholarships to seniors graduating
from Abington High School and private
The Jeff Coombs Memorial Foundation,
P.O. Box 463, Abington, MA 02351
The Jeff Coombs Memorial Foundation
has a great cause and the members of the
organization make a huge impact on the
community of Abington. Everyone who
helps with the foundation is a volunteer
and all the money is used to help the
community. It is people like Mrs.
Coombs who make a difference.
Donations may be sent to:
For more info visit:
Jeffcoombsfund.org