Marion High School students give back through ‘One Day in May’

MARION - Wheelbarrows and wagons filled with brown mulch made their way around the grounds outside Vernon Middle School in Marion on Monday as a small army of students from Marion High School gave back to their community as part of the seventh annual One Day in May event.

Melanie Noble, 18, a senior at the high school and a member of the One Day in May organizing committee, said the goal of the annual event is for students to help out around the community while gaining a sense of volunteerism. She said every student at the school, as well as teachers and staff members are involved.

'It's for the students as much as it is for the community,” she said.

Noble and Emma Collins, 17, a junior at Marion High, were busy transporting mulch from a large pile in the parking lot to an area near a large garden bed outside the school. Other students were busy digging up weeds in preparation for the mulch to be spread.

'These kids have been working hard,” said Karen Hoyt, a retired Marion Independent School District art teacher and a member of the Uptown Marion Main Street board of directors. 'It's really physically challenging labor. They're just awesome. Every year these kids come out to help, it's just a delight.”

Noble said planning and fundraising for the day begins at the beginning of each school year. She said the organizing committee meets at least once each month. She said students this year were spread out around Marion and beyond, including the Marion Public Library, Marion Square, area retirement homes and even Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids.

At the new Waldo's Rock Park in Marion, students were to plant several dozen trees as part of the service day. They were to be assisted in their efforts by Trees Forever, the Marion Parks Department and the Marion Tree Board.

'Waldo's Rock Park is a new 7.4-acre park in a newly developing industrial area,” Michael Cimprich, Marion arborist said in a news release. 'These new trees will beautify the park and provide shade around parking, fishing areas and the trail.”

The city of Marion was awarded $4,715 though Alliant Energy and Trees Forever's Branching Out partnership and Monday's effort is one of 37 plantings planned throughout the state this spring.

'This is a great service project for high school students,” said Carl Barnhart, Trees Forever field coordinator. 'When you plant a tree, you save energy, improve air quality and reduce stormwater runoff. The whole community benefits from planting a tree.”

Hoyt said many of the projects taken up by the students wouldn't otherwise get done, especially considering tight budgets.

'Many hands make light work,” she said. 'There is a real sense of camaraderie and people working together for the betterment of the community and then sharing the praise.”