Sapulpa students give back to community by picking up trash
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) — If you saw cheerleaders and football players wandering around Sapulpa this morning, this is why.
"We wanted to help the community out, pick up trash. They have helped us in so many ways. They've come out, supported our games, so we wanted to give back to the community," said Sapulpa football player Sebastian Fernandez.
Sapulpa High School's first Chieftain Strong Community Service Day is the brainchild of Athletic Director Michael Rose.
"We wanted to make sure this summer was fun for the kids. Maybe picking up trash on a Wednesday morning isn't fun, but getting them together just because of the aspect of being apart," he said.
Rose said last summer was hard on the students, so they wanted to provide several activities throughout the summer so they could bond.
"I think it's so awesome to have a group of adults and students to give up their time on a Wednesday morning. It's a little warm, but to go out and serve their community because they know what has been given to them," he said.
It's an idea the students embraced.
"I love it. I think it's a really good idea to give back," said cheerleader Kaytelin Kinney.
"Downtown is one of the most historic parts of Sapulpa, so it's pretty cool to come down here, clean it up, make it look better," Fernandez said.
The teams divided up across town to pick up trash, even to pick out weeds at playgrounds. This is not a one-time event. Rose wants it to be a new tradition.
"So many kids go different directions throughout the summer. We want to make sure they stay connected so, going into the school year, they have someone they can stay connected with going into the school year," said Rose.
And the community gets a free clean-up day out of the deal.
