FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM )-- Even though Bikes Blues & BBQ was over by Sunday (Sept. 24) morning, a group of Lincoln football players still got up early to help clean up the trash left behind.
The students arrived at Baum Stadium around 8 a.m. and spent a few hours there before heading over to Dickson Street to clean the main stage area.
One of those students was Senior Trea Harrison who helped out a year ago.
He said this year they did not have as many students helping, but it was easier since there were things they could do help.
Harrison said he knows the event is a big thing for the community and they just want to help any way they can.
"I have family that comes up here every year and does it," Harrison said. "I know that a couple of my friends that are out here helping; they have people come out here and do it and it’s something special in the community. We don’t want just everyone showing up and then just leaving.”
Also out helping the players was Lincoln High School Athletic Director and Assistant Principal Deon Birkes.
He explained they have been doing this for about five years and every year he notices that the area seems to be a little cleaner than the previous year.
The one thing that doesn't change though is the work ethic he sees in his students who choose to give up part of their Sunday to clean someone else's mess.
“You know everybody keeps saying that kids are changing," Birkes said. "Kids aren’t changing, parent’s expectations are changing and I think if you expect our kids to come out and work hard, they’re going to work hard."
The group of players consisted of both upper and underclassmen from the Junior High.
Harrison said as a senior on the team, seeing the younger players coming out makes him optimistic for the future of the team.
“It’s good to see that there are some underclassmen that are looking to be leaders in the future and you want to be able to pass that torch on and not just be able to sit there and go 'hey we need to you to step up'", Harrison said. "They’re already stepping up and it makes me proud as a senior.”
With the help of the Lincoln students and the other volunteers in the area, clean up was expected to be done around two that afternoon.