Expressing gratitude for a $7,000 donation to Juanita Gardine School.  From left, 6^th grade teacher Devon Walter, Gardine Principal Barbara McGregor, Assistant Principal Anna Gordon and Rohlsen family representative, Diedre Carver.

Diedre Rohlsen-Carver dutifully walked up to the Juanita Gardine Elementary School main office on the morning of Thursday, May 4 with a mission at hand: to present a $7,000 check to the school on behalf of her family in remembrance of her late brother, Eryle Alric Rohlsen, Jr. who taught Special Education classes at the school.

 “The family has been making donations to the school in remembrance of my brother for a number of years,” said Carver, a former district director of child nutrition on St. Croix.

Rohlsen-Carver requested that the donation be distributed with $5,000 to benefit the purchasing of fresh fruits and vegetables for the school's cafeteria and the remaining $2,000 for Gardine's Special Education program.

Rohlsen-Carver placed the donation into the hands of 6^th grade teacher Devon Walter, who officially presented the check to school administrators. Walter, a longtime teacher at Gardine School, was a close ally of Eryle Rohlsen, Jr. Of his friend, Walter said, “Just to think about him, the only thing you are going to do is smile. He always had a smile on his face.  He was a really great guy."

Gardine Principal Barbara McGregor was pleased to accept the donation and committed to using it for the benefit of the students.