BALTIMORE — As we approach CIAA weekend, DTLR has partnered with the CIAA Royal Court for service week to give back to the community ahead of the tournament
Digging, planting and watering was the name of the game Tuesday as kings and queens from a number of HBCUs were helping high school students at the Academy for College and Career Exploration to prepare their garden and greenhouse for spring.
“It’s important for our CIAA Kings and Queens to be out here in the community. If you know anything about HBCU Kings and Queens, it’s all about service, leadership, and giving back, not only to their campus communities but the surrounding communities that they come from," says Dr. Michael Rainey, Director of Mister and Miss CIAA Competition.
The event was a partnership with DTLR, which invites the royal courts each year for different community service projects.
“We always try to pick a new experience for them every year. So this year we chose ACCE, were here working with the high school’s green team, who has a community garden, and it's right on time with the weather, its right on time with the season. They can flip this garden and get it prepared for the upcoming spring bloom," says Tremayne Lipscomb.
Terrance McPherson, Mister Livingstone College, said he was excited for the opportunity to represent his school and connect with some high school students sharing his passion for his university.
“To be able to come out here to the streets of Baltimore, to be able to help, you know, it's something that we always want to be able to do. Something that we always just want to be able to put our hands on, so being able to do this is something that is very important," McPherson said.
The kings and queens took time to clean up the flower beds, pull out weeds and other overgrown plants, clear up the soil, and prepare the plants that would be put in those spaces later on in the week.
Jada Phillips, Miss Fayetteville State University, said this type of work is exactly what she enjoys doing.
“We want to be able to help the community in any way possible. I have always worked in food banks, and I feel like this is just going to the root of the problem and starting there. And I love that they are so young and helping the community in the way that they are, and I want to show them that we are supporting them," she says.
The community service is also a part of CIAA’s Scholarship Competition Week.
At the end of the week, one of the royal courts from the participating universities will win money to take back to their school.
