A helping hand from the kids

The were 54 young men and boys caught doing good around Moorcroft last Wednesday morning!

Camp organizer Matthew Melinkovich later reported how this situation came to pass. The local Church of Latter Day Saints invites boys between 11 and 18 from the Moorcroft, Gillette, Wright and Newcastle areas to their annual Young Men's Campout in the Black Hills and part of that experience includes serving others.

"We do service throughout the year, but this is the big one," Melinkovich explains.

Last year, the group helped a rancher south of Newcastle who could not conduct needed repairs around the property due to health issues and the boys took care of two miles of fence and two miles of waterline for him.

This summer, the organization contacted Moorcroft Councilman Dale Petersen and he, in turn, discussed the offer of help with the rest of the governing body before letting these young workers loose on the town.

The boys cleaned and painted the cemetery maintenance shed, the bathrooms and tables at Robinson Park, the water building south of the high school and the Westview playground. The playground was not completed, though, Melinkovich says.

"We got most of [the playground] done, but we ran out of the colors and supplies to get all of it done," he says.

"We felt this was a great turnout; any time you can get 50 young men together, it's always a great time to do it. We accomplished what we wanted; we helped them have fun... It was a great success!"

The group works one day on whatever is needed before continuing to their camp where they enjoy the rest of their time fishing, swimming and target practicing with .22 rifles.