Quincy High School Spring Fling tradition meets community needs

Quincy High School has tradition of serving the community. They call it Spring Fling.

After two years without the service project, it was back this year with a few changes in plans.

The traditional date is the first Friday in May. But when Amanda Webb, high school principal, and organizers saw the weather forecast for May 6, they bumped it to Monday.

Rather than enduring a cold rain falling Friday, the 400 students worked under sunny skies and 70 degrees — important as most projects were outdoors.

Students selected several options and were placed accordingly. Project placements included:

• Quincy Park

• Village of Quincy

• ProMedica Coldwater Regional Hospital

• Tip Up Island

• QCS Educational Science Center

• Loveberry Tree Farm

• Marble Lake Resort

• Branch County Humane Society

• Little Orioles Day Care

• Jennings Elementary

• Quincy Branch of Branch District Library among a few others.

At ProMedica, some students planted flowers, others spread landscape mulch and several were cleaning up the serenity garden.

At Tip Up Island, Danielle Badders was supervising students painting benches, cleaning inside the event center and doing yard work.

Because the building was closed for the two pandemic years, the ceiling and lighting needed to be replaced. Sweeping away construction dust and washing windows were inside jobs. Most were outside.

“We are so lucky to have these kids here,” Badders said. "We're totally booked this summer."

Beyond the physical work, students were exposed to Tip Up Island and will, hopefully, assume leadership of the Quincy tradition someday.

Parents of several students are on the Tip Up committee, she said, including Payton Gross, a sophomore who painted a bench, and Badders’ son who was doing some heavy lifting.

“Tip Up will be February 23,” Badders firmly stated.

At the Village Park, staff handed out shovels for students to remove sod from around young trees. All of it to prepare for the destination events held in the summer.

Downtown, several student crews were repainting curbs in bright yellow.

Caleb Nickerson of the village was pleased with the work ethic of most of the students.

One of them, Sophia Snellenberger, said she wanted this placement because how downtown looks matters.

“I drive through it all the time,” she said.

Twelve students were placed at the Branch County Humane Society. They organized a storage area, weeded flower beds and painted kennels.

“This is huge,” said Jan Nageldinger, director of the society.

What students accomplished in a few hours would have taken her and volunteers days, if not weeks, to get done.

And then they played with the animals — a big motivation for students including Cody Woodward, Alison Turner and Sierra Parker.

Webb, a QHS graduate, knows first-hand the value of Spring Fling because it was happening when she was a student. This service project helps the community, teaches students to give and sparks community pride through their investment of time.

Webb gives credit for Spring Fling to long-time teachers, “the Powells.” Jeff Powell is in the math department. Sharon Powell, is the Spanish teacher who also leads the drama department.

Because of the two years off, due to the pandemic, it was the first Spring Fling for most students, but they knew about it.

“I just wish it was on a Friday,” one said.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Reporter: Spring Fling: a Quincy High School tradition meets community needs