SVSU's Bill Wickes, of Saginaw, helps beautify Bay City

2015 May 1

Bill Wickes, of Saginaw, was among 20 Saginaw Valley State University students who helped beautify several Bay City sites along the Saginaw River on Saturday, April 25.

Wickes picked up trash and spread mulch across the grounds at Bay City Infiniti Skate Park, Bay Harbor Marina, Bigelow Park, the Boys and Girls Club of America, and Veterans Park.

"I learned how much of a difference a 3- to 4-hour work day can make if everyone has the same vision of cleaning up the park for the community as a whole," Wickes said. "We left a cleaner and more inviting park than what we drove into. I feel like this could be applied to a range of community issues since this one was accomplished so well."

Wickes, a political science major, helped the effort as a part of SVSU's leadership and service program. Students involved in the initiative learn to lead and serve with integrity in ways that will transform their lives and the communities in which they live.

In 2015, SVSU received the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a distinction achieved by only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. For more on SVSU's community engagement, visit svsu.edu/communityengagement/.