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MC football players, community volunteers take on Oak Grove Cemetery cleanup

By Sophie Wheeler 3 min read

MARIETTA - Thursday morning, Marietta College football players and community volunteers gathered to clean drainage systems in Oak Grove Cemetery led by Marietta resident Roger Kalter.

"I dream big and work hard," said Kalter, who said he saw the need for action after the recent and frequent rainstorms in Marietta that resulted in the shifting of soil and debris. Kalter said he has long been a proponent of serving the community with projects throughout his life including in Marietta beginning in 1991 with The Incredible Community Playground Project. He worked alongside the Marietta College football team and previous Head Coach Andy Waddle 15 years ago in Oak Grove Cemetery when around 330 headstones were reset.

Thursday, Head Coach Tom Hinkle shared the experience he had as a student football player when the team last visited the cemetery.

"I thought it was really cool (at) the moment, and just having that feeling of helping the community out. That’s something that I remembered and felt good about leaving here 15 years ago, and something I wanted to bring back."

Hinkle remarked on the capacity the team had for a project like this, with 112 players and 13 coaches and staff. He said he hoped to instill a sense of connection not only with players but with the community as a whole, and foster continued learning for the students.

"They're not coming to just play football. They're coming here to learn life skills and lessons, and they're going to give back to their community." Hinkle said.

Hinkle said he hopes in showing the community support, players will be able to draw on the same kinds of lessons he learned as a student volunteer.

"The stuff they're doing right now is to help out the community, so to get that for them and see that impact at the (football) games, I think would mean a lot,” he said.

Kalter said in addition to the drainage systems, the volunteers worked to clear a 230-foot strip of brick sidewalk that runs alongside a portion of the cemetery. He said the most difficult part is using the appropriate tools to clean the historic bricks lining the drains.

"I've been bringing in a few tools at a time," Kalter said, “You start with nothing and you end up where you’re at.”

In addition to community donations for tools such as shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, multiple local businesses donated equipment to the project including: Bridgeport Equipment, Greenleaf Landscapes, Miller Memorials and Marietta College Facilities.

"We just want the community to know what we're doing," Kalter said, "we're doing it because we love the community and we want it to be a great place.”

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