Keeping the 37-acre ACS campus well-maintained is a significant challenge and involves a team effort among ACS groundskeeping staff and volunteers like Al Fry, who happily donates his time — at least 10 hours each week — to mow the grass and keep the some 15 acres of athletic fields and other outdoor areas looking pristine.
At least twice a week, you can spot Fry riding atop a large mower on one of the baseball, softball, or soccer fields or on grassy areas adjacent to educational buildings, and it’s a job that he loves to do.
“I do it because God allows me to do it,” says the 83-year-old Fry, who also mows the grass for several of his neighbors and occasionally for Greentree Church, his church home. He also enjoys volunteering for the local Police Athletic League and helping with their expansion projects.
Last month, Fry was recognized for his volunteer service to ACS at the school’s Annual Association Meeting on May 17. Board of Directors’ Vice Chair Rob Barberio presented Fry with one of the school’s 2021 Servant’s Heart Awards.
Board of Directors’ member Kris Jacoby, in her introduction of Fry said, “He is retired, but he hasn’t retired from serving the Lord. We’re very grateful that God led Mr. Fry, who isn’t an alumni parent or grandparent, to come serve at ACS by helping maintain our fields, enabling us to enjoy the beautiful property that God has blessed us with.”
Fry began volunteering at ACS six years ago, when his friend and former boss, Ralph Clayton, asked him to help out. Fry had retired at the age of 66, after working for over 40 years overseeing commercial utility work for the Clayton Company, A.E. Stone, and Arthur R. Henry, Inc. His specialty was in the installation of underground gas, water, and electric lines for projects across south Jersey and in Florida. Fry grew up in Linwood, NJ and graduated from Ocean City High School. Right out of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he worked as an equipment operator in France for three years.
Since retiring, Fry has enjoyed finding ways to help others and he is also passionate about supporting missionaries. His older sister, Shirley, served for 20 years as a missionary in Haiti with Reciprocal Ministries International, and he has several friends serving in missions. He is happy to see ACS students involved in missions trips and two years ago donated a large number of tool kits for the ACS Missions Club to use on its short-term missions trip projects.
In his spare time, Fry enjoys spending time with his three children and three grandchildren, and mowing the three acres of grass that surrounds his Egg Harbor Township home.