GREENWOOD - Lander Athletics continued its partnership with local organization Trash Time with Tara on Saturday morning as student-athletes from 14 Bearcat teams volunteered their time to help clean up the Greenwood community. The cleanup marked the third year that Lander Athletics has partnered with the organization, which works to keep Greenwood clean through community litter pickups throughout the year.

Across the 14 participating teams, Lander student-athletes collected 112 bags of trash from locations throughout Greenwood. The Acrobatics and Tumbling and Women's Lacrosse teams tied for the most bags collected with 18 each, while Softball followed closely behind with 17.

"This is our third year partnering with Lander athletes on this project, and it means so much to our community," said Tara Smith, leader of Trash Time with Tara. "Lander is a vital part of Greenwood and of who we are as a city. Seeing these student-athletes show up and give their time on a Saturday morning to make our community better sets a wonderful example for others and shows what we can accomplish when we all work together. I hope this inspires more people to get involved."

The cleanup also provided an opportunity to highlight pedestrian safety as Master Trooper Brandon Bolt, a Public Information and Community Relations Officer with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, stopped to speak with members of the Lander Acrobatics and Tumbling team.

Bolt interviewed the student-athletes about their experience during the cleanup, including whether passing motorists were slowing down as they worked alongside area roadways. He also shared that October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, explaining that his visit was an opportunity to learn more about driver behavior and pedestrian safety during community activities.

Throughout the morning, several Greenwood residents stopped to interact with Lander student-athletes and express their appreciation for the work being done to help keep the community clean. Lander Athletics would like to thank those community members for their kind words and encouragement, as well as the coaches and student-athletes who volunteered their Saturday morning to give back to the city that continues to support Bearcat Athletics.

The cleanup is part of an ongoing partnership between Lander Athletics and Trash Time with Tara that has brought hundreds of student-athletes together to make a positive impact throughout Greenwood. During the 2024-25 athletic year, more than 700 Bearcat student-athletes participated in two cleanup events, collecting 273 bags of trash from 16 locations around the city.

Community members interested in getting involved with Trash Time with Tara or learning more about upcoming cleanup opportunities can contact Smith at taramariesmith1978@gmail.com or visit the organization's Facebook page.