“This is your community for the next several months, and we are so happy to have you come here and help make this town a better place,” Elkins Mayor Jerry Marco, a D&E alumnus with the Class of 1990, addressing the D&E athletes and coaches assembled before the cleanup began. “We’re grateful for this partnership and look forward to it growing even stronger.” Marco then joined the Clean Up Day efforts alongside several City of Elkins employees.

The event saw contributions from athletes from all 20 D&E men’s and women’s teams, including women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball, and men’s baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field and wrestling.

The student athletes gathered supplies at the Elkins Fire Department station and then, equipped with gloves, garbage bags, brooms and trash grabbers, the teams and their coaches cleaned a large area running from the Davis Avenue Bridge and the Train Depot to City Hall and the intersection of Third and Kerens.

“D&E is an important cornerstone for Elkins, and we’re willing to partner with the college any time they need the city’s support,” said Leon Kaye, the City of Elkins’ communication manager and an adjunct faculty member at D&E.

Two Davis & Elkins student athletes pick up debris from around a tree and a trash can on Third Street Wednesday evening. All 20 of D&E’s athletic teams were represented at the event.

“We’re thankful that Athletic Director Jennifer Riggleman and all the coaches inspired their athletes — all of Senator Nation — to come downtown today and show what the term ‘community’ is all about.”

The event was the latest in a series of joint initiatives between the City of Elkins and D&E. Marco has also spoken at recent D&E events, including a safety training for residents and the college’s matriculation ceremony last Friday for new students. D&E has had a strong recruiting year, with a reported 279 new students enrolling this fall, officials said.

Information on D&E athletics and its various teams’ schedules can be found at: https://senatornation.com/.