Volunteers hold 4th annual laundry day

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press 

While most kids were out enjoying their summer vacation playing outside, playing video games, or maybe just relaxing, several young students volunteered their free time to wash, dry, fold, and sort more than 2,000 pounds of laundry.

Members of the Five Hills Royalty and other volunteers met Friday at Wells Laundry for the 4th Annual CCISD Laundry Day. Volunteers collected all of the lost and found items left behind at the end of the school year, after waiting until June 3 to give students time to collect lost items. They then brought them to Wells Laundry which donated the use of their washers and dryers. Volunteers met at Wells Laundry at noon and worked hard washing, drying, sorting, and folding bag upon bag of laundry until the more than 2,000 pounds of laundry were complete. Then, Communities in Schools representatives who work at CCISD campuses came to the laundromat to pick up enough clothing items to stock their clothing closets for students in need for the upcoming school year. Extra items were donated to the Optimist Thrift Store.

Each year, a new member of the Five Hills Royalty takes charge of the project. This year, Junior Miss Five Hills Hayley Sawyer (8) took the helm. Sawyer’s platform is helping the homeless. She said that she likes that the clothes go to people in need.

“I think they need our help, so we’re helping them,” said Sawyer.

Sawyer said that doing the laundry was hard work, but it was also somewhat fun.

Five Hills Ambassador Briana Liles (10) also said that it was a lot of hard work, but it was definitely for a good cause. She said that they had to rush to fill the machines, get the loads out promptly, and start new loads so that they could make sure that they finish in time. However, she said that it was worth it since they were doing it to help children who might not have many clothing items

“Some kids have a bunch of clothes, but some have to wear the same clothes. They don’t have any rainbow stuff, only one color of stuff,” said Liles. 

Zachary Petty (12) helped start the project when he was eight years old. Alongside his family, they managed to wash 800 pounds that first year. Since the project’s conception, Petty helps and gets to see how his project has grown. He said that it feels good seeing how many people volunteer and help those in need.

Each year, Wells Laundry has donated the use of their machines to the students for this project, so that they could complete the laundry for free.

“I think it’s commendable that a group of young people would volunteer their time and their talent and have a heart for the less fortunate in the community,’ said Shelley Wells who co-owns the store alongside her husband, Kenny Wells. “These kids are working so hard. I’ve been so impressed…We’re proud to be associated with this group.”