NEW FRANKEN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – UW-Green Bay incoming freshmen cleaned up some of the local waterways at Bay Shore County Park
With trash bags in hand, Elayna Hartter and hundreds of other first-year students, scuffed up their shoes to make a difference.
“We picked up a lot of trash, a lot of cans. Kinda surprising how many people just throw their stuff out. But that’s all we did, just kinda picked up trash.”
Samantha Myers tells FOX 11…
“Everyone throws garbage in the ravine so, we went all the way down there, some we did not because they were too steep.”
Chancellor Gary Miller tells FOX 11 the community service project was a new UW-Green Bay addition to freshmen orientation.
“One of the things we want them to know is that this is a great community to be in, but whatever community you’re in, you have to give back.”
Because 77% of new students attending the campus are not from Brown County, the University wanted to showcase the area, while serving the community.
“It says that the community of the school definitely cares about the environment and making sure everything stays clean and healthy,” said incoming freshman Daniel Bohringer of Milwaukee.
“It did feel good to get back to the community, it’s been a little while since I have,” Myers added.
Myers also says students made friends while volunteering. Some say the project even helped ease the freshmen nerves.
“I got to hang out with my friends for a bit, met some new people and we’re all going through the same thing, that’s what brought (the nerves) down a little bit. We’re all going through the same thing.”
And to get a real “Green Bay” feel, the service project was followed up by a celebration at Lambeau.
With 2-year schools in the state combining with 4-year institutions, U-W Green Bay also has 3 other campuses now: Manitowoc, Marinette, and Sheboygan.
