Step Forward Day Recap: Cross Country/Track
9/13/2016 12:00:00 AM | Track
MALIBU, California -- The 28th annual Step Forward Day was celebrated at Pepperdine on Saturday (Sept. 10), and the Waves' athletic teams were out in full force serving the community.
Thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends, as well as dozens of campus organizations, including classes, dorms, fraternities, sororities, and clubs, came together to assist nonprofit organizations, schools, churches and parks throughout Southern California.
Step Forward Day began in 1988 when two Pepperdine students recognized the need for volunteers in the local community and sought to encourage service among their peers. The projects began as small acts of service from helping to repair homes of local senior citizens to planting gardens at Webster Elementary School. Today the annual event has grown not only across Southern California, but also to communities nationwide as Pepperdine alumni step forward to help.
The cross country and track teams stayed in Malibu to do cleanup work in Legacy Park. Track student-athlete Gabrielle Ellis gives us this account:
The Pepperdine cross country and track teams had the honor of volunteering at Legacy Park right in the heart of Malibu. Due to the harsh drought that California is facing, the park needed much aid in removing non-native plants. We were split up into groups in order to cover a large range of the park.
This experience was amazing for our team as it allowed us to spend time together, while being able to help the environment. We are very fortunate to be able to attend college in a city as beautiful as Malibu so to be able to give back in a way that would preserve this area was a joy. We look forward to Step Forward Day 2017!
Players Mentioned
