Center Grove High School juniors went right to work setting up water stations and cones for a running course at Center Grove Elementary School’s annual Fun Run.
As students from the elementary school ran laps in the grass, the 31 volunteers marked stickers off on the back of their shirts, noting how many laps they’d run. Family members were donating to the students for their laps, Center Grove Elementary Principal Krista Nelson said.
The event typically raises $25,000 to $30,000 for the school, which uses the money to pay for classroom supplies, field day and events such as author visits, Nelson said.
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Helping at the Fun Run is one of about 30 volunteer activities that Center Grove juniors participated in on Tuesday as part of the 22nd annual Center Grove Day of Caring.
More than 600 Center Grove High School juniors donated about 2,500 hours of community service during the event this year. The teens did work from downtown Indianapolis to Franklin, spokesperson Stacy Conrad said.
The Day of Caring falls on the same day as the United Way of Johnson County’s Day of Caring, which has similar volunteer projects and helps coordinate some of the Center Grove events.
Having an opportunity to volunteer at the Fun Run gives students a chance to make the younger children happy, said Emma McLeish, a student who volunteered at the Fun Run.
“I like making sure they have fun and seeing them succeed and grow,” McLeish said.
Liana Mendler, another student-volunteer, said the end result of helping students enjoy themselves is the biggest reward for her work.
“It’s great seeing kids have fun and doing something they like to do,” Mendler said.
When the high school students help out and interact with the elementary students in positive ways, it sets a good example, Nelson said.
“The elementary school kids look up to the high school kids,” Nelson said. “I think it’s awesome they’re coming over and supporting them as they’re raising money with a fun event.”
Att the Center Grove Little League fields, 25 students helped clean up the dugouts, baseball diamonds and concession stands for the final weeks of baseball before the fields are vacated for the winter. The volunteer effort plays into what Center Grove Little League is all about, as everyone who helps organize and coach the league is also a volunteer, said Steve Sawa, president of Center Grove Youth Baseball.
“It’s volunteers helping volunteers,” Sawa said. “The more helping hands we can get, the better. It’s a great partnership overall.”
Both Luke Prusciecski and Brayden Robinsen played on the fields as children, and coming back as high school juniors gives a unique perspective into the effort it takes to make the games possible, Robinsen said.
“I used to play baseball here and I never saw the work behind it,” Robinsen said. “It’s humbling to see the work behind it.”
