Cadet leaders at Virginia Tech cancelled a planned rite-of-passage march opting to instead pitch in to help with Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts in Giles County.
Approximately 200 cadets loaded up in buses at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday and traveled to 10 separate sites.
Cadets cleaned up debris from the storm and returned personal items to homes where they had been washed away.
“It hits you a lot harder when you see it. When you’re picking up kids’ toys and clothes, you understand that they really lost everything,” said Katelin Lock, a first-year cadet and architecture major.
Lock was originally disappointed that the fall leg of the Caldwell March, a 26-mile hike conducted over two semesters, was cancelled.
“This is better than doing Caldwell March because we are helping the community,” said Lock. “I’m just glad we were able to do this today.
“You don’t have to be part of a big organization to make an impact. If you feel like you can’t do anything, you can.”
The regimental commander said in this case service outweighed tradition.
“While Caldwell is a time-honored tradition, so is our basis of Ut Prosim, service, sacrifice and leadership,” said Carson Manternach, a national security and foreign affairs major. “It’s what we do, and this is our opportunity to live out those things that we talk about.”
The hike celebrates the journey of Addison Caldwell who traveled miles to become the first student and cadet to enroll at Virginia Tech in 1872.
ICYMI: Virginia Tech helps Giles County
Virginia Tech students, employees help with Helene cleanup in Giles County
Share
Crystal Graham
