Last Friday, on September 12, the Lewis Cass Spanish Club participated in Live United Day along with many others in our community. On Live United Day, volunteers assist with community cleanups and restoration projects around the county. This year, my classmates and I volunteered to help clean some of the parks in Walton and Galveston. My group went to the Galveston park, while the went to the Galveston and Walton ball parks, and the Mercy House at Upper Deer Creek Church in Galveston.
The first group dropped off went to the Walton Ball Park. Students repainted the dugouts and some of the signage for the park. Another group was dropped off at the Galveston ball park and spent the majority of their time painting and fixing up the dugouts that were greatly in need of a fresh paint job. Finally, in a minibus, Mrs. Karmel’s group went to the Mercy House at Upper Deer Creek Church, where the volunteers organized the clothes that were donated for people in need.
At the Galveston park, volunteers were tasked with clearing debris in the forest, picking up trash and fallen limbs, and cleaning the inside of the community building. Students started the morning by moving big tree limbs that were cut down and bringing them towards the road for pickup. Volunteers then went to the bottom of the hill to clear space for the disc golf course. After the more difficult labor was complete, a few of my friends and I went inside the community building to clean. We mopped the floor, cleared cobwebs, and cleaned the windows. After, we celebrated our hard work with a dance break and a round of hide and seek. Students then moved on to lunch, which included a sandwich, a cookie (which was actually really good), and chips. Then, it was time to head back to school for the pep session.
According to the Spanish Club leader, Ms. Karmel, “Spanish Club has been participating in Live United Day with the Cass County United Way for four years.” Ms. Karmel is a vital part of Live United and is fantastic at working with students and getting everyone involved. This year was the largest group of volunteers Señora Karmel had taken. This included sophomore English teacher, Mr. Gibson, who also helped with Live United Day for the first time. When asked how his experience was, Gibson responded with, “My experience was great! It was wonderful to see the students jump right in and work together on a number of projects. Everyone seemed to be doing their part and working together, and it was great seeing everyone come together like that. What really impressed me was seeing students finish up at one location and immediately go to work at another. Many of them didn’t even ask if the other group needed help; they just joined in and kept working. It was fantastic to see so many students working together to help our community out.”
Both the teachers and student helpers enjoyed their time. Senior, Ally Berry, was in the Galveston park group. For her, the most memorable part of the day was, “getting to spend time with my friends while also serving the community. We cleaned windows, mopped floors, picked up limbs, and many other things! We also played a lot of different games along with listening to music while we worked!” Ally has been a part of Live United Day all four years of high school, and this was her last opportunity to participate with the Spanish Club. For her, “it was such a good ending to something I’ve made so many memories from!”
Overall, Live United Day was a success. Members of the Spanish Club and volunteers in the community came together to make our local parks look better than before, our ballparks ready for the upcoming seasons, and the Mercy House is stocked and ready to assist those in need. The 2025 Live United Day was a great success. If students are interested in events such as this, come join the Spanish Club or see Señora Karmel for more information next fall.
