Spirit of volunteerism is alive and well

It's refreshing to see the number of people who either have started or continue to do good works simply for the sake of making our world a better place.

For instance, in a story that could happen anywhere, a group of people were concerned about a local cemetery that had appeared to be overgrown. With Memorial Day approaching, some were concerned that visitors might not be able to place flowers at graves easily. In the meantime, someone brought a mower to the cemetery and got it mowed, which hasn't been an easy feat this year between rains.

For every one of these stories that gets a little attention, there are countless more that do not. Many old cemeteries exist. Many of these have a small group of dedicated volunteers who ensure that the cemetery stays well-maintained. And it's nice to see that in the event people learn of an overgrown cemetery, volunteers are ready to help clean it up.

A group of volunteers from Harrisburg's First Presbyterian Church has been doing their part to pick up trash along U.S. 45 in Harrisburg. Church member Susan Wygant started the project in 2018, and arranges for days of volunteer groups to lend a hand. Weather and road construction can sometimes cause interference, and COVID-19 concerns in 2020 were an extra hassle, but Susan continues to keep working at it, because, unfortunately, people keep littering.

Walker Dale of Harrisburg is another volunteer who continues to do his part to keep the community looking better. Walker has an aluminum can route, where he collects aluminum cans to be recycled. Along the way, he picks up trash, and numerous area businesses allow him the use of their Dumpsters. The city of Harrisburg also has provided trash receptacles when needed.

I also have to give a hand to our Scouts in Harrisburg and the nearby community for their help placing American flags at Harrisburg's cemeteries Wednesday. It is a combined effort of Scouts and their families that make it possible to decorate every veteran's grave marker with a flag.

This year, one parent and Scout leader brought a bag of flags that an unnamed person donated. Harrisburg's American Legion provides the flags to be placed, and each year, some flags have been damaged and cannot be reused. This means that over time, the number of flags diminishes. Despite a rainstorm, Scouts and their families covered the whole cemetery area. Also, since the city replaced the crosses at the veterans memorial, the new crosses have a flag holder welded to the back. It gives the younger Cub Scouts a great way to help participate while learning about the sacrifices of servicemen and servicewomen who died fighting for the United States.

Because, as we approach Memorial Day, it's critical to remember the people who risked their lives and sometimes paid the ultimate price defending the ideas and ideals that make our country the leader of the free world. That's volunteerism at its finest.