Amid celebrating their 50th reunion, the Scarborough High School Class of 1974 raised money to purchase and plant maple trees on the high school campus. Contributed / Merry Lynch

As the Scarborough High School Class of 1974 celebrated its 50th reunion last weekend, they took some time to give back to the school community that brought them together.

Members of the class gathered at the high school on Saturday morning to plant maple trees.

“I phoned the school department and told them about our upcoming reunion and asked if there was anything the school needed,” said Merry Lynch. “Understanding that budgets are tight, I thought there must be something.”

Kate Bolton, director of business and finance at the school department, answered the call and brainstormed with some of her colleagues.

“We had just lost three big maples out in front of the school and they were probably here when this class was in school,” Bolton said. “We thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be kind of neat if we just asked them for a new tree that could grow here for 50 years?'”

Lynch and her classmates liked the idea and raised funds amongst themselves for a tree. It turned out they had enough for two maple trees and O’Donal’s nursery on the Scarborough and Gorham townline pitched in a hydrangea to plant alongside them.

“We all pitched in doing a little shoveling here and there,” said Cheryl Huntley. “One of our classmates was in the service and was a chaplain and she blessed the trees.”

But, there was still some money left over from what the classmates had raised.

“The funds were raised but people kept giving,” Lynch said.

They decided to give it to two of their own.

One of their former classmates had an accident shortly after they graduated and has been in a wheelchair since, said Class President Bob Shorey, while another recently had a stroke.

“We decided to take that money that was left over and divide it between them,” Shorey said. “Just to help them with their personal situations and expenses.”

While simple, Bolton said the act of donating and planting the trees was “heartwarming.”

“Amidst the idea of getting together and having a celebration and being with friends, they were thinking of others as well,” Bolton said. “They were thinking of giving back to the school that they all graduated from. I felt like that was really heartwarming.”

Lynch said she hopes other graduating classes are inspired to give back as well.

“It is my challenge for other high school graduates to give back to their school,” she said. “Leaving a legacy for all to enjoy.”