Ceili Leahy Day of Service

What will your legacy be?

The Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service at James Monroe High School (JM) in Fredericksburg, VA is set for April 4, 2025, 8 AM – Noon. This event provides an opportunity for JM’s Class of 2025 to join the tradition of service and giving back to their community.

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The Ceili Leahy Day of Service Tradition Continues

The CLSP honors Ceili’s legacy by organizing and supporting Day of Service events at James Monroe High School (JM) in Fredericksburg, VA, and by inspiring high school students to volunteer. Ceili showed us how to lead a life dedicated to service to others, inspiring all who knew her to follow her example.

From the fall of 2016 through the fall of 2022, JM students volunteered for ten Ceili Leahy Day of Service events. For many JM students, the Day of Service was the spark to volunteerism, and for others, the event was an opportunity to continue to serve our community.

In December of 2022, the CLSP began a new partnership with JM. In April 2023 we helped JM organize the first Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service, a service project for the entire senior class. The second Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service was held on April 12, 2024, for JM’s Class of 2024. Both events were huge successes!

We’re now gearing up for the third Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service for JM’s Class of 2025. The organizing team includes JM administration and faculty, the Fredericksburg City Schools’ Supervisor of Communications, the Day of Service Student Planning Committee, and the Ceili Leahy Service Project. Up to date information about the April 4, 2025, event for JM’s Class of 2025 can be found on JM’s Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service webpage, that announces proudly, “The Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service continues the tradition of community service at James Monroe High School.”

Ceili remains the CLSP’s North Star, giving us the WHY for organizing and supporting Ceili Leahy Day of Service events. Ceili’s legacy of activism, generosity, service, and love for community continue to inspire action and service.

“As terrible as cancer is, it really opened my eyes to the goodness in people. It was just the most beautiful thing to see what people can do for each other when they’re inspired.”
-Ceili Leahy, JM Class of 2014

Day of Service

Each year we work with James Monroe High School to support Day of Service events. We help inspire, recruit and send volunteers to local nonprofit organizations that share Ceili’s values and purpose. For many, the Ceili Leahy Day of Service is the ‘spark’ to volunteerism, and for others it is another opportunity to do great things in their community.

Day of Service Inspirational Speakers

For each Day of Service, it has been a tradition to invite inspirational speakers to say a few words once all the volunteers have arrived at the meeting place and are preparing to serve. Through their spoken words the inspirational speakers reaffirm WHY the volunteers are participating in this event, give them the motivation to do their best, and launch the volunteers out to the various service projects that morning.

Our local News Director and Radio host, Ted Schubel, created a video of the 2022 Ceili Leahy Day of Service inspirational speakers. While each speaker brought their own messaging to the volunteers, it was a beautiful coincidence that each talked about the importance of showing up.

In the fall of 2022 Ted created a video of inspirational speakers over the years — here is the link to the video clip titled, “The Ceili Leahy Day of Service is this Saturday in Fredericksburg: It’s all about giving back.” https://youtu.be/F81A9mxC3-M.

Ms. Tammy Clark, Health/Physical Education Teacher, Certified Athletic Trainer, and Giving Tree Coordinator at JM, was the 2021 Ceili Leahy Day of Service inspirational speaker. Listen to her speech at the following link: https://youtu.be/Bx08ymKM1Q8. We are so thankful Ms. Clark could help inspire and motivate our volunteers to make a difference in the community on 9/11.

"Ceili's light will forever shine as this Day of Service repeats year after year and the projects completed are shared with generations to come."

Tammy Clark

2020

Whom we serve

We serve nonprofit organizations whose missions are consistent with Ceili’s values and passions.

Organizations our volunteers have served over the years:

Loisann’s Hope House
Mary Washington Healthcare Grief Support Services
Friends of the Rappahannock
Fairy Godmother Project
Fredericksburg City Public Schools (Fredericksburg, VA)
Downtown Greens
Tree Fredericksburg
Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity
Joint service project with Fredericksburg Parks, Recreation and Events & the R-Board
Brisben Center
Rappahannock Area Community Services Board
Washington Heritage Museums
Fredericksburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank

If you know of a Fredericksburg nonprofit organization that could use volunteer support, let us know by sending an email to TheCLServiceProject@gmail.com.

Ceili Leahy Day of Service sponsors

Thank you to all the sponsors, present and past for supporting Ceili Leahy Day of Service and Ceili Leahy Senior Day of Service events.

Suzy Stone Lando Massey Real Estate
J. Brian’s Tap Room
White Oak Animal Hospital, LLC
Fredericksburg Ballet Centre
Blackhawk Homes, LLC
Rappahannock Development Group
Coleman Motor Company, Inc.
Bartlett Tree Experts
Meadows Farms
Arbor Care: Complete Tree Service, LLC
Sally Harman FIELD Design, LLC
Black Knight Technology, Inc.
Scott Badami
Mike and Stephanie Till
Greg Allison, Johnson Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate Appraiser
University of Mary Washington College of Education
G-H20 (Sandy & Mike Gillenwater)
Gemini 3 Group
Fredericksburg Education Foundation
Hillcrest United Methodist Church
Susan Garnett Spears Leadership Coach
Mary Washington Healthcare
NOVEL
Wegmans

Donations from sponsors cover the cost of supplies for service projects, refreshments for volunteers, and “Ceili Leahy Day of Service” tee shirts for volunteers—a visible reminder of Ceili’s passion for volunteerism and our commitment to community service.

To become a sponsor for a future Day of Service event or learn more about sponsorship, please email TheCLServiceProject@gmail.com or call Leslie Leahy (President) at (540)645-8512.

What our volunteers are saying

I do the day of service to honor Ceili's life and because I love the bonds formed working side by side while volunteering.....plus it's really fun and makes you feel good to help out.

The Day of Service is an opportunity to make a positive impact on the community, honor Ceili, and have lots of fun.

I choose to volunteer for the day of service because it provides a good opportunity to connect with the local community as well as learn how to participate in volunteer projects. I feel it is important to give back to the community, even if it is a small action, as doing good deeds makes you feel good in return.

I am participating in the Day of Service to honor Ceili's legacy. A passion I shared with Ceili was empowering young people. It's great to connect Jayem students with the community- both locally and globally.

I participate in the Day of Service to take part in opportunities that I had never imagined myself in and because of it, I became happier.

Each of us holds a unique and crucial gift for service. . . whether the moment calls for service through leadership or listening, through getting your hands dirty or giving time to a friend in emotional need, to serve with credit or without, there is always an opportunity to give your gift away. . . How would you live if you had exactly what was needed to heal the world?