They took a divide and conquer approach for the annual clean-up event, high school Principal Darin Ricciotti said, noting students in grades nine through 12 were spread out in groups with their teachers doing various activities on the school grounds and throughout the community.

The students swept sidewalks downtown, raked leaves and spread mulch at Reservoir Park, cleaned tombstones at Grandview Cemetery and washed police cruisers at the Tyrone Municipal building.

There were also students working at the Park Avenue playground and the Tyrone Historic Railroad park, completing a community service graduation requirement in the process, Ricciotti said.

“It feels good to give back to the community for everything they do for us in school,” said freshman Maddie Hassenplug, who swept the sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue alongside fellow freshmen Nevaeh Eaken and Collin Moore.

Tyrone Area sophomores Heaven Browing and Gavin Brasher spread mulch Wednesday at a playground near pavilion 12 in Reservoir Park. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

Moore said he’s lived in Tyrone his entire life and takes pride in giving back to the community.

“Just seeing the town cleaner feels good,” Moore said of their work.

“It beats a school day,” he added.

Sophomore Wyatt Jones was spreading mulch and having fun with his friends at Reservoir Park.

“When I was younger, I used to play here and run on the slides and stuff, so I figured I’d come out and help out,” Jones said.

Tyrone Area High School juniors Abby Lucas (left) and Angel Bertram were in a group of 32 AgriScience students to clean up around Cedarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Tyrone. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Chemistry teacher Mike Funicelli said there’s a lot of life lessons students can learn from community service.

“One of the state’s requirements to graduate is community service hours, so this helps with that,” he said. “But because it’s their community, they take pride in it.”

Tyrone Borough Police Chief Jessica Walk said she appreciates the school district’s work.

“They do an excellent job with cleaning the cars, and we love having them here,” Walk said, adding students also picked up garbage and painted benches. “They’re all through the community doing things today.”

Walk’s comments were echoed by Eric Desch, the borough’s highway superintendent.

Tyrone Area freshman Emery Cole sweeps the sidewalk Wednesday near City Hotel Park as chemistry teacher Mike Funicelli walks by. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

Desch commended Travis Crowell, the school district’s transportation and physical plant director, for coordinating the event every year.

“It’s always nice to see the students out cleaning up the town and the community,” Desch said. “They always do a great job.”

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

Tyrone Area High School senior Austin Beamer adds branches to the pile while cleaning up around Cedarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Tyrone as part of the school’s annual community service day. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Tyrone Area freshmen (from left) Maddie Hassenplug and Collin Moore sweep the sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue. The students participated in the district’s annual community service project Wednesday during which the whole school took a divide and conquer approach to cleaning the community at various locations, including school grounds, downtown Tyrone and Reservoir Park. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

Tyrone Area High School junior Wyatt Wall rakes up branches while cleaning up around Cedarwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Tyrone as part of the school's annual community service day. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Tyrone Area sophomore Wyatt Jones spreads mulch Wednesday morning at Reservoir Park. Jones said he loved playing at the park when he was younger and was happy to be part of the district's community service project. Although he broke a sweat, anything beats being in school, he said. Mirror photo by Matt Churella

Tyrone Area freshmen (from left) Nevaeh Eaken, Collin Moore and Maddie Hassenplug sweep the sidewalk along Pennsylvania Avenue during the district's annual community service project Wednesday. Mirror photo by Matt Churella