Cadets to volunteer along Front Range Sept. 25

  • Published
  • By John Van Winkle
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Approximately 3,500 Air Force Academy cadets will perform volunteer work for 48 community organizations along the Front Range, Sept. 25.
 
The volunteer work sites for cadets will range in location from Peyton to Florissant, and Monument to Widefield. 

The Start times vary depending on the distance the work location is from the Air Force Academy, with cadets arriving at most El Paso County sites by 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. for other locations. Work will continue until 4 p.m. or until the work at each site is complete.

Organizations the cadets will be volunteer for include:

· American Red Cross, Southeastern Colorado Chapter, for its one-day Home Fire Campaign event, sending teams of cadets and other volunteers door-to-door to test, repair and install fire alarms at homes in El Paso, Douglas, Chaffee, Teller, Pueblo and Otero counties.

· Black Forest Together, helping with fire recovery and mitigation work at several homes within the area affected by the Black Forest fire.

· Two projects with the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, thinning overgrown trees and brush, to be used as firewood for the needy and trail maintenance at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., for both events.

· City of Manitou Springs, removing debris from Fountain Creek and Williams Canyon to aid the city's continuing flood recovery and mitigation efforts.

· City of Colorado Springs Parks and Recreation Department, building a hiking trail at Ute Valley Park; clearing and maintaining Promonitory Point Open Space and working at two other sites.  

· National Dog Mill Rescue kennels in Peyton to clean, prep the kennel play yards for artificial turn, make blankets for adopted dogs, as well as socializing and walking severely traumatized dogs.

· The Salvation Army in Colorado Springs, cleaning and painting its Winter Warming Shelter, performing upkeep on its mobile canteen that provides meals to the homeless and performing labor and setup for a senior citizens lunch.

Other organizations the cadets will work with include: Rocky Mountain Field Institute, Venetucci Farm, The Marian House, Rocky Mountain Veterans Village Foundation, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Partnership for Child Development, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Flying W Ranch, Pikes Peak Urban Gardens, Al Kali Shriners Mule Team, and several elementary and middle schools across the region.

This cadet volunteer work is organized by the Academy's Center for Character and Leadership Development via its Cadet Service Leadership program, which connects community organizations with cadet volunteers.

Cadets performed more than 30,000 hours of community service during the 2013-2014 academic year and have averaged more than 30,000 hours of community service work each academic year for the last 10 years.

Organizations that wish to request cadet volunteers for future community service efforts can request cadet volunteers online at: www.usafa.edu/Commandant/cwc/cwcx/csl/csl_inputform.cfm?catname=csl.