Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge a big group of students, teachers, and community members of Dartmouth High School who recently went on a 10-day cultural immersion trip to the Dominican Republic. While there, the group helped build a house for a local woman and her newborn baby. They farmed, collected garbage, and helped distribute live chickens to various households in the area they were visiting.
Each of the 40-some students brought with them a 50-pound duffle bag filled with items like medical supplies, school supplies, and other necessities that were distributed to the communities they visited. They were also joined by a volunteer firefighter, Robert Hebb, who brought new fire equipment with him for local firefighters to use.
The trip was organized by Dartmouth High teacher Heather Hughes and other parents from the community. I ask the House to join me in thanking this group of Dartmouthians for their generosity and dedication to a community of strangers in a country far from their daily life.