Students from Wyalusing Valley and Cowanesque Valley high schools gathered at a small, water-logged park in the rural borough of Westfield. With shovels and brooms, they dispersed throughout the community, sweeping fire department bays, helping with farm repairs and clearing fields full of debris left by catastrophic flooding last month.
They met again at a different field that night.
The students from Wyalusing, including football players, cheerleaders and members of the band, had Friday off from school. They decided to spend the day helping their rivals from Cowanesque Valley before kickoff.
“There's a lot of people in need, and we just wanted to come help them, help them out when they're struggling,” said junior Ethan Vanderpool, who plays fullback for Wyalusing. “They would do the same for us if we were struggling.”
Three weeks before, remnants of Hurricane Debby devastated the region in northern Tioga County. The water rose higher and faster on Aug. 9 than the borough’s 1,100 residents had ever seen. The Cowanesque River destroyed homes, threatened lives and brought the community closer together.
“You hate to see it happen in a situation like that, but it's amazing to see the people come together and do stuff exactly like we're going to do today, which is very cool,” said Lacy Miles, a volunteer first responder and a Cowanesque teacher.
She helped divide the large group into smaller teams, each with students from both high schools. The students introduced themselves and shook hands.
“That's just one of those things that makes your heart happy, and we need it. This is such a long process,” Miles said. “The amount of time that it's going to take for families to get back on their feet is just, it's amazing.”
The trip from Wyalusing, in the southeast corner of Bradford County, to Westfield, in the northwest corner of Tioga County, is about two hours. Despite the distance, the Rams and Indians play each other regularly in the Northern Tier League.
Rams head Coach Rich Rogers pulled a trailer full of bedding, cleaning supplies, diapers and other items donated by the Wyalusing community.
At the park along Sama Drive, the two schools worked together to remove the thick layer of mud that covered the basketball court.
“It's kind of awkward, because you gotta, like, be all nice to them, and then we gotta, like, not be necessarily nice to them when we play,” said Justin Mack, a Cowanesque freshman.
Down the street, a sign advertised free, hot showers available in a trailer outside an ice cream shop. People can pick up bottled water and cleaning supplies and inquire about emergency assistance outside Crary Hose Co.
Chief Bill Goltz ran command at the station when the water started to rise. There wasn’t enough time to get all of the equipment to higher ground, as 4 to 6 inches of rain fell quickly. In the midst of 30 water rescues, a house caught fire. The National Guard, along with volunteers from other communities, came to assist with what the chief described as a “nightmare.”
Students grabbed masks and started to sweep the mud out of the fire department.
“A lot of my guys, they lost their properties or houses and we've been short-handed trying to get things cleaned up. This is really a big help,” the chief said.
The department could only get two vehicles out before several feet of water filled the garage bays. Piles of boots, turnout gear and other safety equipment sat outside the garage doors. Goltz hopes to avoid black mold and to save as much as possible.
“When I heard these guys were coming, it was great. Two schools joined in together to help out,” he said. “That's what it's all about.”
Another team of students worked at Riverside Park, clearing large logs, wooden posts and other debris left behind.
Hours later, Wyalusing beat Cowanesque, 37-0.
Wyalusing junior Shelbie Pavasco said Friday's volunteer work gave her a different perspective.
“We aren't only cheering for our team,” she said. “We're cheering for everybody else out there who have lost all the things that they've lost.”
