HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Milton Hershey School kicked off its 2020 Founders Week on Monday.
Six members of this year's senior class planted a ceremonial tree honoring the school's founders.
"I have the Class of 2021 plaque that says, 'this tree is dedicated to the living legacy of our founders Milton and Catherine Hershey' and it's dated today," said Bob Ebert, High School Principal at Milton Hershey School, "We can walk around our founders' buildings and see trees and plaques that go back years and decades."
Susan Alger, the coordinator of the Department of School History at Milton Hershey School, said each Founders week is an exciting time at the school.
"This whole week of activities lead up to November 15, on Sunday, which is actually the date that Milton and Catherine Hershey signed the deed of trust, a legal document that created the school," said Alger.
"Today was another opportunity to lay another tree for another senior class," said Ebert, "Having this tree and other types of symbolic things that we have on campus for our alumni to come back to with their families for years to come and talk about what the school meant to them. It's significant."
The entire senior class would normally be present for the tree planting.
However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the students will be able to watch the ceremony virtually later in the week.
"I think our school has done an incredible job of finding a way to allow our students to be here and to access our programming because of traditions like this," said Ebert, "To have our seniors and those who we were able to have participated, and then share this virtually with our other seniors."
Milton and Kitty Hershey created the school and gave it their fortune to ensure children born of poverty would receive proper care and education in perpetuity.