IRMO, S.C. — Logan Cole, an incoming third grader at Leaphart Elementary, has a new reason to smile. That reason is new Buddy Benches.
"He's excited. He's already told me first day of school he's going to sit on it in case somebody needs a friend and he needs a friend, so that's exciting," Alyssa Cole, Logan's mom said.
These two benches are new places to sit for any student who doesn't want to be left out. That's how Logan has felt the last several years. In other words, they're aimed at fostering friendships.
"I learned that it can help people make friends," Logan said.
"Logan's been kind of nervous because he's meeting teachers and new friends and classmates, but we feel like the buddy bench is really going to help ease some of that stress and tension of the school year start," Alyssa said.
"The beautiful thing is it's not only going to help Logan. It's going to help all the other kids," Nicholas Cole, Logan's dad said.
And guess what? Logan even got to help build the benches Wednesday night.
"I helped screw the screws in and I helped him put everything in place," Logan said.
The Cole family also bought these books to help explain the buddy bench concept to other kids in the classroom.
"I appreciate the Cole family for their initiative and their effort in making sure that this happened," said Chad Raynor, Leaphart Elementary assistant principal.
This is a firm foundation to sit on as students start the school year. The family tells us they still need about $500 in community donations to help them cover the cost of the second bench.
If you'd like to help, click here.