By: Maria Allard | Warren Weekly | Published October 5, 2022
WARREN — The 160 football players at De La Salle Collegiate High School were on a mission Sept. 16.
They met up at Woodside Bible Church in Warren, and grabbed some garbage bags, rakes and brooms, and cleaned up several neighborhoods throughout the city.
In groups, and with several staff chaperones, they picked up debris and trash from 12 Mile Road south to Eight Mile Road, and from Schoenherr Road to Van Dyke Avenue.
The students participated in the Community Service Day in honor of those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The cleanup crew included members of the freshmen, junior varsity and varsity football teams.
Former Warren Planning Commission member Jocelyn Howard helped to organize the event, which she said will become an annual occurrence.
“We decided to hit some of the hardest hit areas in the city. I reached out to De La Salle to see if a couple athletes could help,” Howard said. “Their disposition was stellar. Their pride for their school, as well as the community, was exhibited today. Their creed is ‘Builders of Boys, Makers of Men.’ They demonstrated that.”
Howard reached out to local retailers for donations of rakes, garbage bags and buckets. The athletes were happy to participate.
“It’s not fun driving down the side of the road when there is trash,” senior Mason Collins said. “We walked down roads picking up trash. It felt good that we helped and made a difference.”
Collins said the football players have performed other forms of service.
“That’s kind of what our school is known for,” he said.
“There was a lot of trash. Our group filled three trash bags,” junior Ryan Ross said. “There were bottles, cigarette packs, paper, a lot of cans.”
As the students worked, a few passersby honked their horns and waved. Ross is a new student at De La Salle this year.
“Everybody has been nice. Everybody has been welcoming,” Ross said. “I like the environment.”
After all their hard work, the team members went back to school where the Dad’s Club served them lunch.