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Though the rain kept them from working outside, about 250 Warsaw Community High School students found other ways to volunteer at local service organizations, schools and churches Tuesday.
The students took part in BLITZ, "Bringing Light Into the Tiger Zone," sponsored by the student council.
"It's just a way to get the entire school involved in the community and do community service," said Mallory Kendall, WCHS sophomore class president. The sophomore class is in charge of BLITZ. The students volunteer to be involved in the program. Kendall said it's important as it is a way for students to give back to the community.
Planning for BLITZ began in early March and took much planning, Kendall said. As it turned out, the hard work and planning were worth it. "It was definitely worth it, how everything turned out. It was definitely good," she said.
This year, students volunteered their afternoon at Grace Village Nursing Home, Courts of Colfax, Winona Lake and Warsaw parks; Jefferson, Harrison, Lincoln, Madison, Washington elementary schools; Lakeview Middle School; WCHS; Heartline Pregnancy, Miller's Merry Manor, Warsaw Community Church, Warsaw Community Public Library, YMCA, Combined Community Services, Our Father's House, Head Start and the county fairgrounds. Transportation for the students was provided by the transportation department.
Sophomore Ben Davis volunteered at Madison Elementary, where he said they wiped floors, desks, bleachers and walls clean. "It was pretty fun," he said. After finishing early, the high school students played basketball and other activities with the elementary students. "We had a lot of fun," he said, and would do it again.
Micaela Mares, freshman, said, "I thought it was fun and something different for the school to do. It was challenging."
Tabitha Kellogg, also a freshman, said a way to improve BLITZ next year is to "get more people to go." Mares said more places to volunteer would be a great idea, too.
Also volunteering at Madison was Madison alumnus John Tharp. "It was really fun. Just to get to be around the school I grew up around, see old teachers and help out." Like his friends, he said he will do it again next year.
Volunteering at Warsaw Community Church, Kaitlyn Wilson, freshman, said BLITZ "was a good idea because we can serve other people and not expect anything in return."
But for their efforts, student volunteers did get free pizza, pop and a concert, provided by the student council, after BLITZ was over.
Student Council Advisor Jim LeMasters said the purpose of BLITZ is to get students involved in the community and show that there are good kids in the community. He was happy with how the day turned out, despite the weather.
"It was really good, really smooth, except for the weather, but there's nothing we can do about that. We brought light into the Tiger Zone," he said.
