MANCHESTER, Mo. — Students from Parkway South High School were spread out across the area helping their community in various ways on Thursday.
Some were on campus working while others went to 50 sites off campus, including nursing homes, elementary feeder schools and parks.
One group was flagging down drivers and washing cars for free at Manchester Park.
"It feels really good and I like to help people and know that it's making a difference," said Olivia Hemminghaus, a senior.
Others helped service the soil and spruce things up on the park grounds by completing tasks like blowing debris and picking up trash.
"We are trying to help prepare for summer by mulching and help clean pool furniture," sophomore Ella Bucher said.
"It's really fun to just be able to give families that come and visit here a nice and clean space to visit over the summer and by doing that we're taking the weight off of someone else's shoulders," added another senior.
Similar projects were underway on Parkway South's campus, including cleaning and building spice kits for the Parkway Food Pantry.
Anne Erehart, a math teacher who had the vision, noted it was to teach the students how to become service leaders.
"The goal that I've always had from the beginning is that they would learn to make a difference in the lives of others and so that's just an important skill for adulthood and I believe it's the most self-fulfilling also when you are giving back," Erehart said.
"It makes me feel like a good person, you know, be able to come out here and do this for the south community and the school just make it look nice," Holmdahl added.
Ninety-two percent of the student body showed up to participate in the Day of Service and they raised over $17,000 through community partnership to go towards the effort.