Wesco students ‘Serve It Up’ by cleaning, weeding, sweeping and more

Students wielded gardening tools, garbage bags, laughter and dance moves during the first Wesco Serve It Up Day last week.

Schools in the Western High School Athletic Conference, better known as Wesco, teamed up for a day of community service that let students focus on projects in their own cities while uniting schools from around the region by serving on the same day.

After class Friday, volunteers cleaned parks, picked up campuses and helped with after-school activities for younger children, among other projects.

The Wesco high schools are Everett, Cascade, Henry M. Jackson, Mariner, Kamiak, Glacier Peak, Edmonds-Woodway, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Meadowdale, Shorewood, Shorecrest, Marysville Pilchuck, Marysville Getchell, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Snohomish, Arlington, Stanwood, Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor.

While not all of the schools participated in the first Wesco Serve It Up Day, student leaders say, more than half planned projects and others might get involved if Serve It Up continues next year.

The presidents of student governments at Wesco schools meet about once a month, and the idea to do projects on the same day came up at one of the meetings, said Hannah Scarth, student president and a senior at Arlington High School.

“It was something we all wanted to do to show unity and our school spirit,” she said. “What we kind of discovered is that even the little things remind people of what ASB (Associated Student Body) stands for, which is service leadership.”

Arlington volunteers put on a dance Thursday for special education students, giving them a prom experience in a safe, friendly environment. On Friday, volunteers went to the Arlington Boys &Girls Club to help children during after-school activities there.

Student leaders from Wesco schools team up every year to do some kind of service project, said Sierra Price, student president and senior at Marysville Pilchuck High School.

“This year we wanted to plan something that would involve all of the students,” she said.

Volunteers from Marysville Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell joined forces Friday to weed, pick up litter, turn over play chips, sweep boat ramps and scrub garbage cans and picnic tables at Ebey Waterfront Park on First Street. Nearly 50 students signed up to help.

Parks maintenance manager Mike Robinson directed volunteers as they grabbed rakes, clippers and weed pullers, then dispersed around the park.

“One of my favorite things to do is work with volunteers,” he said. “I love it when people find a date and commit to that. There’s a lot of organizations that put an X on the calendar to give back to the community.”

Roger Devora, a senior, is president at Marysville Getchell High School and worked with Price to coordinate the project. They hope Wesco Serve It Up will become an annual tradition.

“Even if Wesco didn’t do the event, I think it’s great for Marysville Pilchuck and Marysville Getchell to do it,” Price said.

After the park clean-up, the two schools put on a dance to bring more students together, Devora said.

Meanwhile, about 30 volunteers from Everett High School attacked blackberry bushes and picked up litter at Wiggums Hollow Park on 12th Street.

“We just really wanted to clean up a park,” said senior Trever Tuck, the school’s student president. “The students are in high school and a lot of them have younger siblings and this was the most family-oriented project we could think of.”

They spent a sunny Friday evening cutting back thorny bushes in one corner of the park and picking up trash around the rest of it. The day ended with a barbecue to celebrate and thank volunteers. Students from other schools cleaned up their campuses, picked up trash on beaches or held food drives.

“We want to continue doing these types of service projects in the future,” Scarth said. “What we want to get across with all of these schools working on projects is that no matter how busy you are, you can always find a way — no matter how small — to help your community.”

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439, kbray@heraldnet.com.