Wake Up Walton!

Saturdays offer a sort of peace resembling the eye of a storm. In the center of a whirlwind schedule, the first day of the weekend is a shelter from the cloud of anxiety waiting on Monday. The community members of Walton-Verona, however, choose to jump out of that comfort to serve their neighbors. Wake Up Walton! was a booming event, full of students, parents, teachers, board members, and faculty. The school’s cafeteria tables were crowded in the early hours of the morning while breakfast food was available as fuel for the soon-to-be-drenched volunteers. After everyone settled in, they were divided by teams and given their instructions. 

Once at the assigned yards, each team was tasked with pulling weeds, laying mulch, and planting flowers. Though the yard work accomplished on Saturday can be described in a few sentences, volunteers put hours of work into landscaping all while the rain ensured the feeling of being dry was long-forgotten. The purpose behind their labor was to brighten the morale of the elderly that are unable to tend to their gardens. Revamping the overgrown flower beds into a visual favor not only gives the community a touch of natural beauty, it also gives the homeowner a sense of pride in their space. Once the yard is free of unwanted greenery, the landscaper’s hands are covered in mud, and the young flowers are shown their new home, the volunteers were rewarded with a delicious meal at Steak N’ Shake.

In hopes of getting out of the rain, numerous volunteers stopped by the restaurant for a free burger and conversation. The burger joint was booming with exhausted voices relaxing with a laugh and bonding over the wounds of landscaping. Wake Up Walton! has proven yet again that when a community pulls together in the name of selflessness, a deep rooted joy explodes throughout the group. The elderly homeowners may have received free yard care, but the volunteers reaped a sense of ecstasy when their neighbor’s flowers were sowed. None of the enjoyment could have been possible without the effort of the Wake Up Walton! student committee or Mrs. Alford. Strings were pulled, twisted, and braided in order to execute yet another wonderful community-centered event. The above illustration of the event is only half as delightful a representation as the real experience. If you feel left out, there are various chances in Walton to get involved and the next time Walton is awakened, be the first to sign up!