SHS football team ‘tackles’ projects

Mostly the Stanwood Spartan’s football team is seen either at practice or on the field during games. But for the past month, the team has been volunteering with Project Serve and Design Stanwood, as well as at a local church, Camano Fire Department, and Camano Island Chamber of Commerce’s Freedom Park.

Sept. 12, they pulled weeds, trimmed plants, raked and bagged debris for Project Serve. The focus was to instill the value of volunteering and pride in community while cleaning up the planted triangle areas along SR 532 and Stanwood Home Center.

After the one-hour workout, the team’s efforts showed in smiles, “attaboys,” and amazing results in such a short period of time.

Spartan coach Aaron Cupp has organized the team’s Saturday training schedule to include one hour of community service.

Many players on the team have pen pals they write every other week.

The week they aren’t writing letters, they are doing various service projects for a variety of organizations coordinated through Project Serve.

Other service projects the Spartan team has “tackled” include carving out the groundwork for a community reflection and meditation labyrinth at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church on Camano Island (Sept. 26), helping Camano firefighters “de-sandbag” from last year’s flood (Oct. 10), and weeding at the post office with Design Stanwood (also Oct. 10).

One more project is scheduled during regular season play, out at Freedom Park on Camano Island Oct 24. Where Spartan volunteers will be helping with much needed maintenance at the park said Gretchen Leaf of Design Stanwood and Brian Hoyer of Project Serve.

“So next time you see volunteer work going on, stop and thank them and more importantly, join them.

We have much to do!” said the two coordinators.