Photos: WAMS Students Show Support for Troops

Corralling 800 easily distracted, rammy, sweaty middle school students and getting them to stand still for 30-plus minutes is no easy feat.

Patty Watson managed to pull it off Wednesday though (with some help), and if you believe a picture is worth a thousand words, not much more need be said.

But we’ll say just a bit more.
 
Watson, who hails from western New York State, has been taking aerial photographs of students arranged in patriotic images for the past 11 years. She usually sticks close to home, but was invited to come to in Moorestown through a friend of a friend who is a teacher at the school.

Watson said her sole purpose for taking the photo is to show support for the troops, especially with Memorial Day around the corner.

“I’m a volunteer … This is zero profit,” she said Wednesday as she waited for the students to gather on the field outside the school. “This is something we feel strongly about doing for our kids and the community.”

It took about 15 minutes for Watson and her crew of helpers to get the approximately 800 seventh and eighth grade students into place for the picture, along with a contingent of local retired Marines and Navy officers.

The photo was shot by a fellow volunteer (as well as an overcoming his fear of heights in service to the assignment) from about 75 feet up in a fire truck bucket. 

The image of the students gathered in a patriotic heart shape—wearing red, white and blue shirts provided by TD Bank—will adorn magnets, bumper stickers, posters and T-shirts that parents and students can purchase through Watson’s website (www.pattyspeoplepictures.com).

Proceeds from the sale of the merchandise go to the Wounded Warrior Project and The Bob Woodruff Foundation, which both benefit injured service members.