ROCHESTER, N.Y. — When News10NBC showed how partiers at Durand Eastman beach were throwing city picnic tables onto bonfires, a teacher at Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES thought his students could fix it.
So, with materials from the city, they made new picnic tables for the park.

“Come on!” said the teacher to his students prepared to take a picnic table off a flatbed trailer. “Come on push!” 

The tables arrived Thursday morning. The students who built them carried them into the park at Durand Eastman beach.

“Set push!” said the teacher as they took the second table off the trailer.

The city of Rochester provided the wood and materials. The students did the rest and this time, the city is locking them in place.

“When the news broke last month that vandals had burned tables in the park, our students and staff members decided to take action,” said Kerry Macko, Director for Exceptional Children in Monroe 2 Orleans BOCES.

News10NBC found burnt picnic tables and crash thrown around the beach in April. People who partied on the beach over the weekend, dragged city owned, taxpayer funded picnic tables onto bonfires and destroyed them.

“I’m just glad we were able to show our appreciation to the City of Rochester and donate these beautiful tables,” said Russell Democker, a BOCES 2 student from the Greece Central School District. “Every single one of us in the program has out all of our efforts into making these tables.”

The students and teachers came prepared. When the tables were in place, they brought out their own picnic.

It took the students about 36 hours to make the tables. In addition to have a nice new place for families to have their Memorial Day picnics here at the beach, the students used tools they never touched before like levels and socket sets and screw guns.

So, in addition to doing something good for the community they’ve learned a skill that will help them get a job when they graduate.