Guests: Nelson Heidiger, our speaker Chuck Cooksey

Our speaker this week was Chuck Cooksey, teacher at Marshfield Junior High and the faculty sponsor for Marshfield D.C. Travelers. Each year, Mr. Cooksey takes a group of Marshfield students on a trip to Washington D.C. over spring break. In a couple of weeks, he will be making his 11^th student trip with 73 students and 19 adults. The group will drive 24 hours by chartered bus to NYC, where the group will visit Ellis Island, Ground Zero, Times Square and see a Broadway show. The group will then travel to Gettysburg, PA for a battlefield tour. The group will finish with 4 days in Washington, D.C., where they will pack in as much sightseeing as possible – the Capitol Building, the Smithsonian, the Holocaust Museum, George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon and Arlington National Cemetery. For many students, it’s the first opportunity to travel out of the area. The trip is an opportunity for students to gain a greater understanding of history and culture, and for some students it may spark a desire to travel more in their adult lives. Over 600 students and parents have had the opportunity to travel to D.C. with Mr. Cooksey over the last 10 years. It takes about $200,000.00 to make the trip, most of which is paid by the families of the students. To reduce the cost, there are fundraisers all year, including sales of Andy’s Frozen Custard at sporting events. If you or your business would like to help the Marshfield D.C. Travelers financially, contact Mr. Cooksey at Marshfield Junior High.