Friday morning came early and the students gathered outside of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall eager for a weekend of work. We hit the road and began our journey to East St. Louis.
Just outside of East St. Louis we stopped at Cahokia Mounds and took some time to learn about the rich history of the area. We climbed to the top of the tallest mound and were able to see a great view of the St. Louis. The view was beautiful!
After spending some time at Cahokia Mounds, we headed into East St. Louis and gathered at Eagle’s Nest for a delicious Fish Fry! After lunch my group and I headed to 41st Street/Pullman Porter Park. On the last outreach weekend we had painted a new sign for the park, and this weekend we were going to be putting that sign on the ground and cleaning up the park to get it ready for the spring season.
The group was eager to get started, so we didn’t waste any time. We got right to it pulling weeds, raking leaves, cutting bushes, and picking up trash. By the end of the day on Friday the park was starting to look much better and more alive. After a full day, we went out, as a group, to dinner. Over dinner each group took turns talking about the work that was done that day. Friday night ended with a trip into St. Louis so that we could go to the City Museum.
Saturday morning came and we started with a tour of East St. Louis, which was lead by our community liaison, Billie Turner. We drove all over the city learning about its history and resilience over the years. It was great to get to see the city through Billie’s eyes.
After the tour, we went back to our respective work areas. We continued cleaning up the park and hung the sign. At the end of the day, we went to Pirtle’s Ice Cream shop and enjoyed a delicious treat before heading back to Champaign.
