- February 7, 2025
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Hurricane Irma may have caused schools to be closed in Volusia County but a group of students have spent their days off helping the community.
Students from Spruce Creek High have been making their way around the area to assist in the cleaning up and clearing away of debris.
Spruce Creek High Baseball Coach Lee McFarland said students on his team first starting going out to help with cleanup on Tuesday, Sept. 12. According to McFarland, the group has been out working every day, beginning at 9 a.m. and sometimes not ending their volunteer work until 4 p.m. or 5 p.m.
"We always preach doing things for the community, doing things in the classroom, as well as on the field," McFarland said. "So getting out and helping those that needed it or can't help themselves is something, as a program, that we try to instill in these kids."
McFarland said the students have been helping cut tree limbs, haul debris and put it in trailers while also dumping that debris at the public works drop-off site. Around nine to 11 students have been showing up each day to help with the cleanup efforts, according to McFarland.
City Councilman Chase Tramont, a basketball coach at Spruce Creek High, had also been helping with pre-hurricane prep with several other Spruce Creek students, including some of his basketball players. Tramont and around seven or eight players helped a resident clear out debris that was left over from Hurricane Matthew in order to keep the area safe when winds picked up.
McFarland added that they plan to work through the weekend and will see what they can do when school starts again on Monday, Sept. 18. The amount of work needing to be done has been starting to decrease, according to McFarland.
"Everybody seems like they're getting a handle on things and getting their yards back together," McFarland said. "This is one of those tragedies that helps us teach those core values of what it takes to just be good citizens."
