Drexel athletes got to work and beautified this West Philly community

On Monday, more than 400 Drexel student-athletes cleaned 17 blocks of West Philly streets — the same streets many of these students currently call home.

On the second annual Community Cleanup Day led by Drexel Athletics on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, athletes, coaches, and support staff gathered inside the Daskalakis Athletic Center at 9 a.m., ready to beautify an expanse of Lancaster Avenue extending from 34th Street to 51st Street.

“I talk often about how important it is for our athletics department to be in community with each other and West Philly,” said Drexel athletic director Maisha Kelly. “We are neighbors, and we compete and practice amongst a community here, so being civically engaged is a part of who we are and who we want to be, academically, athletically, and just as people.”

Drexel partnered with the Lancaster Avenue 21st Century Business Association and the Police District Advisory Commission for the event. Representatives from both groups delivered speeches before the cleanup began, and LA21 urged participants to take note of the small businesses along Lancaster Avenue.

The cleanup took roughly three hours, with every Drexel team represented.

“It is great to see all the sports combining together to commemorate MLK Day,” said Tanner Updegraff, a junior on Drexel’s wrestling team. “Even in the cold weather, everyone has come out for the greater good.”

Drexel assistant AD Peaches Brown emphasized the importance of student-athletes and coaches getting involved in community initiatives.

“It’s important for athletes to be involved with the community, no matter where they come from,” Brown said. “Our athletes are out here today to help clean up and give back to the streets they walk on every day. With nearly 100% attendance of all athletes on every team, it shows how important it is to our culture at Drexel to give back to our community.”

Inquirer intern Ciara Richards is a squash player at Drexel.