Veishea Service Day offers volunteers chance to beautify campus

ISU President Steven Leath and his wife help keep things tidy while students load up wood chips into a wheelbarrel during Veishea Service Day at the Childcare Center at SUV on Saturday, March 24.

Trevor Werner

Students will be able to participate in Veishea Service Day/Stash the Trash from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Service Day/Stash the Trash was started in 2001 by former editor of the Ames Tribune, Dave Kraemer. Stash the Trash is a community-wide project aimed at beautifying Iowa State and surrounding areas.

“Volunteers are given trash bags and gloves the day of the event,” said Megan Willem, sophomore in marketing and one of the Campus and Community Involvement Committee co-chairwomen. “Volunteers can bring trash back to the dumpsters at Reiman Gardens, but they are not required to. We collect lots of litter as well as larger items like tires, farm equipment, etc.”

Stash the Trash runs all day Saturday.

“The event is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., but volunteers can volunteer as long or short as they would like,” Willem said. “We usually get over 1,000 volunteers total for Stash the Trash/Veishea Service Day.”

In addition to the community service opportunity this year, Veishea will be partnering with myLocal Cooperative to offer “HERO Rewards” for participants. These will be deals and sales for local stores and restaurants that anyone can receive.