By Joel Langton
A swarm of nearly 500 student pilots from Laughlin Air Force Base gave Del Rio a quick facelift Saturday morning.
While the 47th Student Squadron’s 5th Annual Serve Day was a chance to spruce up the Queen City a bit, it was also a great chance for the future pilots to get to know the city after a long COVID lockdown.
The squadron members tackled a number of projects. Many waded the San Felipe Creek pulling everything from grocery carts to old tires out of the frigid waters. Others spruced up Ruben Chavira and Roberto “Bobby” Barrera Elementary schools, one large group painted hundreds of yards of railing near the amphitheater and many of the city’s baseball and softball fields got a fresh coat of paint.
A number of trees were planted and Del Rio’s Community Garden got a number of items knocked off of its “To-Do” list.
This giant To-Do list helped the Del Rio’s Community Garden’s Laura Gill keep all of the morning tasks organized.
“This is just a great chance for our members to get out in the community,” said Lt. Col. Chris Best, 47th Student Squadron commander. “Del Rio does so much for Laughlin, it’s great for us to give back to this wonderful town I’m honored to call home.”
Nearly 1,500 hours were donated during the event. The day kicked off with breakfast tacos from Chinto’s tacos, and when they returned to Laughlin, hamburgers were waiting.
