Michigan City High School MCJROTC Finishes Summer of 2014 with Community Service

MJROTC-Summer-2014-Community-ServiceThe Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) finished a busy summer by working two community service projects the week prior to school starting. The cadets helped prepare and then worked the Michigan City Area Schools Back-To-School Rally August 12-14th, and then helped the local chapter of the Marine Corps League with their clean-up of Routes 421 and 6 as part of the Adopt-a- Highway program on August 16th.

The Back-To-School Rally provided many free school supplies to hundreds of underprivileged school district children. The cadets helped organized the supplies, donated by local vendors, on August 12 and 13, and then helped with the set-up and then disestablishment of the rally on August 14. In addition to the free school supplies, entertainment and food were provided for the children and parents, making it a festive occasion to kick-off the school year on a positive note.

Cadets have provided support for the Michiana Marines, the local chapter of the Marine Corps League, in their participation of the Indiana Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway program. Cadets have helped to beautify Routes 421 and 6, south of Purdue North Central University to the Westville Prison.

“Our cadets are very unselfish,” said Senior Marine Instructor Major Tom McGrath. “Helping our students be prepared for the upcoming school year was a very worthwhile project, something that our cadets were very enthusiastic about supporting,” he said.

Master Sergeant Jeff Benak, the Marine Instructor, commented on the partnership established with the Marine Corps League. “These former Marines have really taken an interest in our program, so we try to help them every time we have the chance,” he said.

This past summer, the cadets attended three camps- a basic leadership camp in Bloomington, IN, a senior leadership camp and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Camp (STEM) camp, both in Delafield, WI. These camps were conducted at no cost to MCHS or the cadets. Additional community service projects cadets did were supporting the Grand Prix Boat Races in both LaPorte and Michigan City, and the June and August Drum and Bugle Corps competitions at Ames Field. The MCJROTC also marched in the LaPorte Independence Day parade after having participated in the Michigan City ceremony earlier that morning, and the Michigan City Summer Festival Parade. Cadets will be supporting all of the home football games this year with their Color Guard and providing security, starting with the home opener against Gary Roosevelt on Friday, August 22nd.