SUU’s ROTC club held a Clean the “C” event on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the C-Trail.
Volunteers worked to clean up trash, remove loose gravel and fill up the ruts on the trail. One group cared for the parking lot and the bottom of the trail. Another group was assigned to work along the trail.
The ROTC spread the word for the event by placing flyers around SUU campus and posting on social media. The marketing tactic worked better than expected. Thirty volunteers of all different ages came to help.
“I did not know how many people would come to clean the trail. I was thrilled when I saw all these people start to drive up,” Zachary Jacobsen, ROTC Leader, said.
Cleaning the “C” was a resounding success. The trail was good as new after four hours of raking, digging and gathering.
“The thirty people that attended worked really hard cleaning up our community,” Jacobsen said. “I am extremely grateful to every one of them. Now the trail is free of trash and large ruts. It is now a more enjoyable hike and bike ride.”
One attendee had a particularly interesting story. Brandon Carpenter has only been a Cedar City resident for three weeks after moving from Phoenix. He has relatives that work for SUU and is seriously considering joining the ROTC program. Despite being a newcomer to the town, he already jumps at the opportunity to make a difference in the community.
“I like to help out as much as I can,” Carpenter said. “The number one priority is getting a chance to look out for the city.”
Each ROTC member is given the opportunity to conduct at least one service project per year. Leadership is a core principle of the ROTC and being in charge of various events like this is a way to exercise the skill.
For information on upcoming ROTC events, visit https://www.suu.edu/business/rotc/ or follow @SUU_ROTC on Twitter and Facebook.
Story By: Aaron Peterson
Outdoors@suunews.net
Photos By: Aaron Peterson
