Volunteers Drive Success of Cougar Pride Days at WSU, in Pullman

PULLMAN, Wash. – Many get credit for the success of Cougar Pride Days, the annual spring spruce-up event for Washington State University and the city of Pullman. Area residents and university staff, faculty and student volunteers deserve much of the praise, according to members of the event’s planning committee.

Alan Davis, city parks supervisor, and Ev Davis, WSU Facilities Operations executive director, cite continued growth in the number of volunteers.

“The first year, we had a small but enthusiastic group for a downtown cleanup and the Pioneer Center pre-school won an award for their landscape project,” said Alan Davis. “In recent years, the number and variety of projects has increased to the point that city park dumpsters have overflowed with debris.”

He said recent successful projects in the city include re-landscaping, doing other work at the Pullman entrance sign on Davis Way and cleaning Missouri Flat Creek banks.

“I appreciate the way volunteers on campus and in the community have embraced it,” said Ev Davis, who chairs the committee.  “Pride in the university and in the city are reflected in what you see at the end of each event, a more beautiful university and city. They truly take ownership in WSU and Pullman.”

“Volunteers do a wonderful job,” said Kappy Brun, WSU grounds supervisor. “The appearance of campus is enhanced and the community enthusiasm is great.”

As an example of past success on campus, Brun points to Johnson Tower’s southeast corner. “Volunteers working there renovated a previously unused area into a wonderful outdoor picnic space,” she said.

Opening ceremony for the fifth annual Cougar Pride Days is March 22 at Pine Street Plaza, part of the Downtown Pullman Riverwalk. In case of bad weather, it will move to an area with tents at High Street Mall. The closing awards ceremony is April 4 on Glenn Terrell Mall or, in the event of bad weather, in the Compton Union Building. Both ceremonies start at 12:15 p.m.

To volunteer or for more information, visit www.wsu.edu/cougar-pride-days or contact Ev Davis, (509) 335-9024 or Merlene Greenway, City of Pullman, (509) 338-3228.