CHARLOTTE — Every day, Allen Mills stands in the intersection at Shamrock Gardens Elementary to make sure cars get out, and kids get to school. It almost looks like a dance.
“It’s good to be a part of helping to welcome them into the school day, and hopefully start the day off right,” he told Channel 9’s Joe Bruno.
Mills is a part of Lucky Dads, a volunteer group of Shamrock Gardens fathers who help out at the school.
To kids, he’s a celebrity. To staff, he and the other dads in the group are lifesavers.
“Mr. Allen is much more than a volunteer traffic dad,” Principal Natalie Legra said. “He is here, rain or shine, and he is truly the heart of our community.”
Legra says parent involvement is incredibly important and plays a huge role in the school’s success.
“I think that our dads here are wonderful role models for our students,” she said. “They show our community that it really takes a village.”
But the village is losing Allen soon. His daughter is moving on to middle school.
As he gets ready to leave, he hopes others will follow in his path and get involved because a little bit of time can help make sure kids head in the right direction.