Nearly 380 Lyon students, staff, and faculty visited sites across Batesville for the College’s 25th Service Day on Wednesday, completing over 1,000 volunteer hours.

The 37 service sites included Main Street Batesville, Family Violence Prevention Center, Humane Society, and the Batesville School District.

Freshmen Andrew Pitts and André Davis power-washed a wall on Main Street, preparing the surface for a mural that will later be painted by Professor of Art and Theatre Maggie Gayle and students Carson Matthews and Bethany Stubbs.

“It’s always good to give back,” Davis said.

Junior Raul Gonzalez, who cleaned off sidewalks in front of downtown businesses, said service is key to having a vibrant community.

“Service lets us help those in need and make a better environment not just on campus but in town, too.”

Freshman Skyler Parish, who helped build a dog pen for an area resident, said Service Day gave students the chance to apply lessons on civic duty from their politics classes.

“We learned about how being involved in public service helps keep democracy in place,” she said. “As college students, it’s important for us to serve our community because it teaches us how to be good citizens.”