Guest contributor
The idea to enhance the front entrance of Landrum Middle School began in 2018, as a new class of rising sixth graders were moving on to Landrum and a new PTO Board was coming into session. Many parents noticed that the front entrance to the school could use a little curb appeal. So, the rolling out of ideas on the beautification process began.
The PTO did not have any specific fundraisers for this project nor was it funded by any general fund. However, the PTO had planned a meeting with Kevin and Karyn Caroll, owners of Coastal Luxury Outdoors, about becoming a community partner of Landrum. The Carrolls took it a step further and let the school know that they graciously wanted to donate something to the school.
The makeover idea was generated from the PTO and what they thought would be a better car drop-off and pick- up visual experience. The tiling of the wall behind the Landrum Lion mascot, “ABL” (Alice B. Landrum) was the first idea. The pavers, landscaping and everything else came in to play once the PTO and Principal Player sat down with Coastal Luxury Outdoors. The team at CLO started mocking up designs.
The other great piece to this makeover is that the pavers that surround ABL are made up of personalized bricks that were sold in a fall fundraiser last year at Landrum, called the “Landrum Lion Challenge.” Families could either purchase a personalized brick, a paw print (located outside of the gymnasium entrance) with their family’s name on it, or a “Landrum Lion Lives Here” yard sign to place front of their homes. So, the vision was to “build” ABL’s Den with Landrum families’ personalized bricks for years to come. The building of his den has begun. In the future, all of those bricks will have families’ names on them with more added each year.
The installation of this project began just a few weeks before school started, and it took about a week. The installation included plank tiling on the wall behind the mascot, brick pavers surrounding the mascot, landscaping, new lettering and two planters to enhance ABL. Now he really “pops.”
The PTO looking forward to the launch of its fall fundraiser, which is slated for mid to late October. The “Landrum Lion Challenge” will encompass selling personalized bricks, new yard signs and paw prints. However, this year the PTO is going to add one more piece to the challenge. They have a few tricks up their sleeves that might enhance the new entrance even more, and perhaps some other areas on campus.
