Students ranging from elementary to high school helped plant flowers Thursday to commemorate the third anniversary of Superstorm Sandy.
The students planted daffodils along Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, and they said they would return in April to plant pansies. The students also planned to return after Mother's Day to plant additional flowers.
Some of the students are from P.S. 288, which is located in Coney Island. The school was closed for six months after the storm because of damage.
"It makes me feel happy because this is my community, and this is where I was born," said one P.S. 288 student.
Students have also adopted a block in the community.
"We started out with just four schools and community groups helping us," said Pamela Pettyjohn, of the Coney Island Beautification Project. "We have now grown to nine schools, four youth organizations and a host of other organizations."
The students' participation in the commemorative day of service is part of a program that runs from October to June, according to Pettyjohn, who called the experience an "outdoor classroom" for students.