Marietta College students MacKenzie Moran, left, and Anna Allison rake up leaves that have fallen around the O’Neill Center. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)

MARIETTA — Rain or shine, with Saturday definitely leaning more toward rain, students from Marietta College had a mission to complete.

Members of the leadership program at the college gathered at the O’Neill Center in Marietta to help clean and beautify the surrounding landscape. Their class received a grant through The Enterprise Holdings Foundation and the Evans Civic Engagement, who agreed to help support Marietta College’s student service efforts this year for “Make a Difference Day”.

As part of a learning opportunity, members were able to break off into groups and apply for the grant.

The group at the O’Neill Center was granted $150 to buy mums, pumpkins, corn stalks and lights.

“With the funds given in support of this project, our group was able to finance the new lights around the center and complete the bulk of our project, which was setting up the new lights,” said student Anna Allison.

Brooke Smith places stakes for the lights around the O’Neill Center in Marietta as part of “Make a Difference Day.” (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)

Allison said they also received funding to purchase decor and flowers for the O’Neil Center to “spruce up the exterior of the facility” for the guests and “generate a more positive atmosphere at the Center.”

“The O’Neill Center is pleased to partner with the college and these students made it so easy to do,” said the Center’s Development Coordinator Erin O’Neill.

O’Neill said she only had to provide a rough outline of ways the money could be used and the students rolled with it.

“They came out on a rainy, dreary and cold Saturday to decorate our facility for our seniors and I could not be more pleased,” she said. “I think the seniors will be so happy to see the decorations and new walkway lights. I imagine there will be lots of smiling faces on Monday morning.”

This was a community-wide event and students could be spotted all throughout the city working to “make a difference.”

Members of the leadership program at the college gathered at the O’Neill Center in Marietta to help clean and beautify the surrounding landscape. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)

Each group was doing something different all around the town, not just landscaping.

At “The Gathering Place” students teamed up with GoPacks of Marietta, the Ohio State Extension Office, The Right Path and Full Circle Yoga for an event they called “Healthy Habits in Autumn.”

This event was complete with healthy recipes, mental health awareness and physical health.

“We could all use healthier habits in some aspect, whether it is with our food choices, our physical activities or our mental health,” said Heather Warner, director of GoPacks.

Cathy Harper, director of “The Right Path” shows off one of the affirmation pumpkins children could make. The goal is to help them recognize that are enough as they are and stop the cycle of drug usage and suicide. (Photo by Madeline Scarborough)