As Whidbey Island recuperates from the recent string of winter storms, students at Broad View Elementary School are looking to repair something near and dear to their hearts.

A December windstorm toppled a tree that smashed a stone bench in the Karen Mathews Memorial Garden and damaged two other benches.

“It went straight down and broke that one,” said fourth-grader Amelia Berner as she pointed out the smashed bench.

An outpouring of community support and volunteer help sparked the development of the garden. Mathews, a fifth-grade teacher at Broad View, and her husband, Ted, died when their single-engine plane crashed south of Oak Harbor in April 2005.

To remember their teacher, students, staff and volunteers teamed up to create the memorial that highlighted Mathews’ love of teaching and gardening.

In addition to the native plants growing within a wooded area, local Scouts last summer installed stone benches so the memorial could be used as an outdoor classroom. A drip irrigation system was also installed to provide water to the plants during the dry summer months.

Students also simply enjoy some quiet time out at the memorial.

“Kids like to come out here and sit on the bench,” fourth-grader Amber Heisler said.

When they saw the damage, several students from Mary Obee’s class of fourth and fifth- graders wanted to see if the damage could be repaired. As a result, students Berner, Heisler, McKinley Kellogg, Alyssa Epilepsia, Hannah McMurtry, Fiona Hebb and Julia Krishtal are busy raising money to repair the stone benches.

Their desire and motivation impressed teachers and staff at the school.

“They noticed the problem. They came to me and said they want to do something about this,” Principal Joyce Swanson said.

Swanson said the Oak Harbor Fire Department is helping raise money for two of the benches and the students are raising money for the other one. Ted Mathews was a firefighter who worked in Marysville.

The principal said it costs approximately $150 to purchase a new stone bench.

To make a donation to help with the effort, call Broad View Elementary at 279-5650. Checks should be made out to BVE ASB.