Spring Break
Massive UMKC turnout for 'Tulips on Troost'
Christian Rose and Kevin Bryce
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News
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While many students were sleeping in on Saturday morning, more than 600 dedicated volunteers gathered at the University Playhouse meeting point (pictured above) at sunrise to participate in the Tulips on Troost Community Service Day.
Due to the number of inquiries the day before, the office of Student Leadership decided to have staff on hand to register all those last minute volunteers.
The organizer for the event, Steve Terry, provided breakfast and a shuttle service, but the real reward will be the springtime blossom of tulips.
With the morning sun shining down, the volunteers dug trenches, planting 75,000 tulip bulbs and 75 trees in a mere four hours.
Troost Avenue quickly became lined with rows of tiny mounds of dirt.
The annual community event has grown steadily in scope to become a popular extra-curricular outing.
"Young people who grow up here constantly hear negative things about their neighborhoods," student Alicia Douglas said in a press release. "They're told they don't live in the best part of town. But to see people out planting tulips, to see that people care about them and the neighborhood, that's extremely beneficial."
The event, organized to celebrate UMKC's 75th Anniversary, was sponsored by the UMKC Student Life Office and the UMKC Institute for Leadership and Service.
Registration to sign up for the event started a month ago and not only did students get involved right away, but the community of Kansas City also lent a tremendous amount of support.
At the end of the day, dirty hands were quickly cleaned, but the sense of pride and accomplishment could not be washed away. - Kevin Bryce and Christian Rose
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