Local Events for National and Global Youth Service Day and Earth Day

Kansas State University, the city of Manhattan and surrounding communities will be offering activities for National and Global Youth Service Day and Earth Day. Below is a partial list of upcoming local events.



This national time of service will be April 20-22, but events in Manhattan and the area will be April 18-22. It is the first time K-State and the community have worked together to mobilize youth through service and education, demonstrating what young people can contribute as leaders in the community.

This year's theme, selected by young people, focuses on reducing solid waste, and various activities and service projects are planned. Area youth and community volunteers are encouraged to participate and can sign up by calling K-State's civic leadership program at 785-532-5701.

The area's National and Global Youth Service Day kickoff will be 9:30 a.m. Friday, April 20, in Manhattan's City Park, Poyntz Avenue and 11th Street. The kickoff will celebrate and recognize youth for their community leadership and volunteer efforts. A proclamation by the city of Manhattan will be read, buttons will be distributed and special thanks will be given to the youth of Manhattan.

Projects and events planned in the area include:

* April 18-22, Onaga Community Development Project, Leisure Land Playground. Recognizing a need for a safe playground to serve Havensville, Onaga and Wheaton. Students in grades K-8 and community members have designed and will construct a handicap-accessible playground. Volunteers are needed each day from 8 a.m. to dark and will work with youth and community members. All supplies and food will be provided. Transportation also will be provided by K-State civic leadership. To participate or for more information, call civic leadership at 532-5701.

* April 20, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respond, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Manhattan's City Park. Events include displays, educational materials and activities to help youth make environmentally aware decisions. Waste Management will display trucks and have staff available to talk about how to reduce waste and what happens to trash once it is picked up. K-State students, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity's ReStore in Manhattan will ask youth to help decorate doors for display at the Manhattan Town Center. The doors will be auctioned as part of ReStore's grand opening Saturday, May 5. Howie's Recycling will show what recyclable items look like, and Manhattan's Sunset Zoo will be promoting its Go Green Initiative for schools, classrooms and businesses. To be a part of the day's activities, contact AmeriCorps and Lynda Bachelor at 785-532-7607.

* Saturday, April 21, Olsburg community clean up, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Olsburg, a Kansas PRIDE community, will be participating in the Keep Kansas Clean So Our PRIDE Can Be Seen campaign. Volunteers will be cleaning up Osburg's local park by picking up debris, cultivating plant beds, rebuilding horseshoe pits and painting various structures. Volunteers are needed and transportation will be provided by K-State civic leadership, 532-5701.

* April 21, Willie's Fun Zone, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., K-State indoor practice facility. As part of K-State's Fan Fest, K-State students will encourage youth to "practice" football drills, dress up in football gear and get to know how staying physically fit is vital to overall health. To volunteer, call Jennifer Pollard at 785-532-7933.

* April 21, Revitalize the Trails, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The youth board of the Manhattan Community Foundation, Youth Impacting Community, is inviting all Manhattan-area high school students to participate in this communitywide effort to revitalize the trails and parks throughout Manhattan. Youth Impacting Community will coordinate the efforts of area youth organizations and interested youth as they work with the Manhattan Parks and Recreation Department. All high school-age youth are welcome, and organizations are encouraged to participate as a group-building activity. For more information or to receive a participation packet, call the Manhattan Community Foundation office at 785-587-8995.

* April 21, "It's All About Three: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" trike-a-thon, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., K-State indoor practice facility. The K-State Leadership Studies and Programs Ambassadors will sponsor tricycle races for registered teams and tricycle relays for youth focusing on reducing solid waste. The team entry fee is $30 and all tricycles need to be decorated with recyclable materials. The elimination competition begins at 3:30 p.m. Prizes will be given to the winner of the races and for the best decorated tricycle. Youth tricycle relays take place throughout the day and encourage youth to reuse, restore and recycle. To enter, contact Ella Todd at 785-770-2329.

* Sunday, April 22, Helping Fish Habitat, 9 a.m. to noon, Tuttle Creek Reservoir. The Tuttle Creek Association is looking for volunteers to help set up a man-made fish habitat in the reservoir. Transportation will be provided to the site and lunch will be provided afterward. For more information, contact K-State civic leadership at 532-5701.

* April 22, Earth Day at the Zoo, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Manhattan's Sunset Zoo. In conjunction with the zoo's annual Earth Day celebration, youth will be promoting the expansion of the zoo's Go Green Initiative, a recycling project, to include schools, classrooms, businesses and other organizations. The public will be encouraged to become "green" and experience how big tasks can become small when we work together. For more information, contact Rachel Soash at 785-587-2737.