Students take to roads, parks this Saturday

Students across Central Kitsap will all be wearing yellow on Saturday as they take to the roads and clean up the community as part of CK Super Saturday.

Students across Central Kitsap will all be wearing yellow on Saturday as they take to the roads and clean up the community as part of CK Super Saturday.

The Central Kitsap School District’s annual event is now in its 12th year and this one is shaping up to be a little different than usual.

Though there won’t be any drastic changes, students will be venturing beyond the roadways they usually stick to. Three local parks also will be targeted by CKSD cleanup crews: Old Mill Park, Island Lake Park and Gateway Rotary Park.

It’s just a slightly new spin on a tradition the Student Senate started planning last year.

“They take a lot of personal ownership of the tradition because a lot of them have been involved for several years now,” Student Senate Adviser David Guertin said. “It’s almost like there’s a sense of … ‘this is ours.’”

This year’s theme is “I Serve The Community Through Excellence.” The cleanup activities will be followed by a barbecue at Silverdale Waterfront Park.

The program is entirely voluntary and despite what some might suspect, it’s wildly popular across the district. Junior high and high school students are eligible to participate, but the program is capped at 600 volunteers, due to cost and feasibility constraints.

Each high school is allowed 100 volunteers, though one has a waiting list going already to see if more students can get on board.

“I have to give credit to the success of previous years for that,” Guertin said. “It really has gained a reputation.”

It’s a reputation the senate and volunteers with Super Saturday take seriously and try to keep up.

“This is one time that we really strive to give back and show appreciation (for the community) in a very visible way,” Guertin said.