Children are invited to gather in their front yards Sunday afternoon (3.29.20) to see their favorite school crossing guard, Mrs. Tammy (Cartwright), drive by their homes in her Jeep, offering them love and encouragement during the social distancing from COVID-19.
Mrs. Cartwright directs traffic and students on Oakseed Lane in front of Lakeland Elementary School (LES) school week days, but with closures because of the pandemic, she misses seeing the LES students.
“I love you guys and you mean the world to me,” said Mrs. Cartwright as she talked of her plan to “social distance” and parade slowly through the neighborhoods and wave from her Jeep. She said she will not leave her vehicle and children are to stay in their front yards and wave to her. She will be wearing her school crossing guard uniform, approved by Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Spontaneous Parade for Children
3 p.m. Sunday – 3.29.20
Starting on Oakseed Lane near LES
“Mrs. Tammy hasn’t forgotten about you,” she said. “I want to do anything to encourage and uplift the students.” She selected Sunday because the weather is to be nice with no rain in the forecast.
She added, “We’re going to get through this.”
She is known to students as “Mrs. Tammy” and considers herself to be their “friendly school crossing guard.” She also directs traffic at Lakeland Middle Preparatory School.
Mrs. Cartwright and her husband Joe live in north Lakeland on what they call “Tammy’s Little Farm.” It is a six-acre home site complete with exotic animals such as a zebra, donkey, llama, emus and deer.
Mrs. Cartwright said she will consider parading and waving through other Lakeland neighborhoods in coming weeks.
