Volunteers gather for Seton Hill's Take the Day On service event - TribLIVE

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For Jack Schechterly, getting his hands dirty on a farm is nothing new.

So when Schechterly, 20, a sophomore at Seton Hill University, saw an opportunity to volunteer at Stoneybrook Foundation in Acme on Saturday morning, he took it.

“We just wanted to give back to the community, and this was one of the great opportunities,” said Schechterly, who is studying mathematics and engineering. “I actually worked on a farm when I was younger, so this is like my kind of thing to do. So I thought this would be pretty cool.”

Schechterly was one of seven Seton Hill football players volunteering at the site as part of the university’s Take the Day On service event. This year’s event deployed 250 students, alumnus and faculty to religious organizations, reuse centers and transitional homes to help complete various projects.

Other volunteers gathered at Seton Hill’s Greensburg campus to make things like cards, jump ropes and blankets, which will be sent to local organizations.

The event, now in its 51st year, is in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. as part of the National Day of Service. While the official Day of Service fell on Jan. 18 this year, Seton Hill based its service day on when students returned to class, which was two weeks later than normal because of the covid-19 pandemic, spokeswoman Jennifer Reeger said.

Reeger noted all service projects followed covid-19 safety guidelines by having volunteers wear masks and practice social distancing.

“These big days of service are really important, because it reiterates our mission and it reiterates the importance of service and helping the community,” said Marissa Haynes, director of service experience at the university. “In addition to helping and working with others outside of our own community, we’re also bonding together within our own community.”

Haynes added that because the service day fell late in February, the event not only honored King’s work but also Black History Month.

At Stoneybrook, a therapeutic riding center for children and adults with disabilities, the event is a way to catch up on the cleaning.

Members of Seton Hill’s football team tackled projects like cleaning doors of more than 20 stalls, as well as cleaning windows, ramps, arena mirrors, walls and more. The organization has partnered with Seton Hill for the past several years, executive director Haley Hutchinson said.

“We like having these types of groups come out, because it allows us to get some extra cleaning done that we can’t do on a daily basis. … It helps keep our facility nice and clean, so when our students come, donors, sponsors, they like walking in and seeing a clean barn,” Hutchinson said.

She noted volunteering is a way to help others out while learning and trying new things.

Cartier Gray, 20, a sophomore studying psychology, said the event is a way to give back to the community while getting volunteer hours for his resume.

“At one point in my life, someone had to help me and gave something to me that I never had. So I feel like it’s only right to do the same in return for other people,” Gray said.

Patrick O’Neill, 19, a freshman studying exercise science, added, “We have a lot of supporters out here. We owe it to the town, everyone around us that helps us out.”

Megan Tomasic is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 724-850-1203, mtomasic@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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