It took the Youth Sports Foundation (YSF) a little longer than usual to clean up after Charles City’s Homecoming football victory over Waterloo East Friday (09.13) night.
John Ruzicka with YSF, which coordinates the youth football program through the Charles City YMCA, says parents, coaches and players have been helping with postgame cleanup on Saturday mornings for several years. Normally, with about 10-15 people, cleanup takes 15 to 20 minutes, but this week’s efforts took around half an hour.
Ruzicka says there was more trash than usual to pick up, due in part to the free tailgate meal prior to the football game Friday night courtesy of Charles City Hy-Vee. Ruzicka applauds Hy-Vee for their generosity to feed Comet fans, but it also meant scores of extra paper plates and empty chip bags around the stadium concourse, with trash receptacles overflowing.
Ruzicka says YSF uses the trash pickup as an opportunity to teach their youth football players about giving back to the community. He says the kids learn to “just dig and get it done” and the group takes great pride in their efforts.
Charles City High School Activities Director Dana Sullivan says the community should be proud of groups like YSF for cleaning up the worst mess she’s seen following a Comets football game.
