High School Sells Shirts to Honor Custodian

BURLINGTON— Burlington High School students and teachers spent Thursday and Friday selling tee shirts to honor custodian Ray Harbour, who suffered a heart attack during winter vacation in Dec. Harbour has been working for the school for over thirty years, and is an integral member to the community.

Credit: Hugo Jinzhen

The sale has coincided with Heart Disease Awareness Month. Friday is also National "Wear Red" Day, an initiative promoted by the American Heart Association, where a portion of the money fundraised will be donated. Shirts were sold for $10 during lunch and after school, and have completely sold out. Rebecca Bernard is an English teacher at Burlington High, and was the organizer for the drive. She told Patch, "The kids love and know him; he goes to their sporting events, and knows their names. We wanted to rally to show our love and support." Three hundred tee shirts were ordered and sold, with requests for more still streaming in.

Harbour is recovering at home, but made a stop to the high school today in a surprise visit to students. Bernard said "Everyone was wearing the shirts! He came in during the lunch block and all the kids clapped."

Harbour in the Burlington High School Cafeteria

BCAT Access TV tweeted about the reunion: