Every year, Tri-College Community Day serves as the perfect opportunity for Walla Walla University students to get to know their community through service. This event often leads to new friendships with individuals from all over town, but it also exposes students to local community partners. Just this year, projects were sponsored by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Sustainable Living Center, Gesa Powerhouse Theatre, Tri-State Healers, and more.
After gathering for lunch at Fort Walla Walla public park, this year’s 200 volunteers split up into 18 teams to tackle projects all over Walla Walla and College Place. The work they accomplished this service day was absolutely invaluable.
Bauer Meeks, junior secondary education and theology major, is the photographer and videographer for the Center for Humanitarian Engagement (CHE). He spent the whole day capturing memorable moments from all across town, and said, “Tri-College Community Day was a great and rejuvenating experience for me.” His favorite project was tree planting at Bennington Lake where he saw students hard at work, laughing and having a good time. Thanks to all who were involved, 300 pine trees were planted at Bennington Lake where they will help combat soil erosion once they mature.
The group leader of this project was the park ranger, an ex-marine corp civil engineer, who Meeks said “went above and beyond his call of duty.” The ranger took the whole group of volunteers to see a great horned owl and baby owlets that had nested in a cliff side, providing an adorable memory for each participant to take home.
In partnership with Walla Walla Community College and Whitman College, the CHE hosts this unique opportunity every spring. It has been a long-standing tradition that was reinstated in 2022 by David Lopez, executive director of the CHE.
At the time, Lopez had heard numerous students say they wanted to get to know the other colleges in town. Tri-College Community Day presented the perfect solution. Coming together in service of the environment and community provided strong common ground that could help encourage those new connections.
To get involved and keep up with future service opportunities, visit wallawalla.edu/che or follow @CHE.WWU on Instagram.
Posted May 2, 2025.
