Third annual Do Something Day held in Hughes Springs

By: Toni Walker

Editor

news@steelcountrybee.com

It has been said of today’s young people that they do not know what it is like to do things for others, or to give back to their community. Thanks to the ingenuity of a local teacher, students at Hughes Springs High School are giving back to their community. The school just had their Third Annual Do Something Day, on April 15.

All students at Hughes Springs High School were involved in some sort of service project. Elizabeth McCoy, who actually organized the day, said the idea stemmed from Texas A&M. “This was inspired by the “Texas Trash Off” with Texas Department of Public Safety, and “The Big Event” at Texas A&M. The entire high school participated, approximately 330 kids, and all faculty and staff,” said McCoy.

Projects were done around campus, as well as other areas around town. There were beautification projects around campus, and students painted horseshoes onto Mustang Boulevard. Students did maintenance around the little leagues ball fields, washed school buses, as well.

“This year, we helped 24 local business,” said McCoy. The students washed windows, swept walkways, cleaned storage buildings, and other projects to help beautify the community. One group pf young men even went to a HSISD faculty member’s home and did yardwork that he had been unable to do, due to illness. Students also visited with residents of the area nursing homes, and washed wheel chairs, as well.

Hughes Springs High School also participates in the “Adopt-A-Highway” program, and students worked their portion of Highway 11 on “Do Something Day.” They did not stop with simply two miles, however, there also cleaned up the portion before their “assigned” two-mile section, as well as the entire 5K route, as well. “We picked up 45 bags of trash off the roads,” said McCoy, added that “Also, we got an old couch, some tires, rims, and old chairs.”

In all, the students were able to learn valuable lessons on taking care of their community, while teaching the community that the children of today can be hard workers.