NC runners volunteer in summer

The boys cross country team at North Central High School is learning there is more to life than running races.

Led by social studies and history teacher and coach Jon Knight, the state 3A championship team is volunteering at various locations this year to learn that giving of themselves is vital to growing up and becoming good adults.

“If it was just about winning races,” Knight said, “it wasn’t meaningful enough.”

This summer, the teammates have volunteered to clear out fuels that could lead to forest fires in Riverside State Park. They also volunteered at the recent National Junior Disability Championships.

Last Thursday, the team volunteered at Corbin Senior Activity Center, Emerson Park, Westminster Food Bank, World Relief Spokane, Personal Energy Transportation and the Women’s & Children’s Free Restaurant. The team divided into smaller groups to help all those organizations.

Karen Orlando, volunteer coordinator at the Women’s & Children’s Free Restaurant, said she was surprised teenagers were calling and asking how they could help.

“How often do you hear that?” she said.

Orlando added that organizations around town are always ready to help the restaurant when they are asked, but it is unusual for a group to call and offer to assist.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the NC boys were busy putting 200 dozen eggs into boxes that hold a dozen each. The eggs will be given to recipients of the restaurant’s Friday takeout program, which distributes fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy products and other grocery items to low-income residents.

The boys also helped reorganize the restaurant’s pantry.

“It’s actually kind of fun to come help out,” said Mitchell Maly, one of the NC runners.

The community service project started last year. Knight, who has young children at home, said the hours he spends at school are important but they also are long. He said he wanted to make it more meaningful if he was going to be spending so much time away from home.

“We’re trying to grow positive young people,” he said, adding that the community service projects are teaching the boys to be good, contributing citizens and good husbands and fathers in the future.

The team of helpers consists of the freshman, junior varsity and varsity cross country teams, with a total of 39 students.

Although the runners and their coach downplay their volunteer work, the community has recognized their efforts.

Last spring, the team won a Chase Youth Award.

“It’s not about the glory,” said Steve Hicks, team captain.

Although honored to receive the award, Hicks said he feels he is doing something good, which is more important. He said he didn’t feel like he was giving up a day of summer vacation to help out.

Knight said this modesty isn’t really surprising because being modest is part of the personal conduct contract everyone on the team signs when they join it.

“We just have a great group of kids who come through” the program, Knight said.

Because they participate in various community service projects, the boys really don’t have time for the usual school fundraising activities, such as selling candy bars.

With only a tiny cross country budget, the team sent out fliers to the families documenting what the team has accomplished. Then the team accepted donations to help offset the cost of being a cross country team that has been ranked No. 2 in the country by Dyestat.com.

“We try not to make it (the fundraising) the emphasis,” Knight said. He hesitated even to mention the fundraising part of the project because earning money for the team is not first in his or the team members’ minds.

Knight said that since he implemented the community service projects, he has heard stories of the boys helping out where they are needed.

He said he heard that a few of the boys had been running along the river where a little girl was riding her bike with her grandfather.

The girl fell off her bike, which slid down the embankment. She also lost one of her shoes.

The boys stopped to retrieve the bike, help her up and look for her shoe.

“As a coach,” Knight said, “that feels pretty good.”