About 175 high school students from ELCA Lutheran churches across western North Dakota spent Friday afternoon gathering up leaves at Roosevelt Park Zoo. Beth Anderson, the Bismarck Lutheran Synod ministry coordinator, said the service project was part of a three-day youth conference for young Lutherans being held at the Grand International Inn. The youth conference alternates to a different location each year.
It was scheduled to be held in Minot this year long before the flood. Anderson said she had been concerned that Minot might not be ready to host the conference, but the hotel and the city have been welcoming. The conference also includes presentations and entertainment and a chance for the ninth- through 12-graders to socialize.
Anderson said Lutheran Disaster helped find the service project for the kids and their adult advisers to do. They spent the afternoon cleaning away leaves and debris from animal enclosures and zoo paths, bagging them up and hauling them away.
There appeared to be a lot of work left to do so that zoo animals can be returned to their homes in Minot, said Anderson. The kids worked in two-hour shifts Friday afternoon to avoid overwhelming the zoo staff.
The theme for this year's youth conference was "Rest Up" and the need to take time to rest amid a busy life. Anderson said she knows that hasn't been possible for many Minot residents since the flood. Anderson said volunteering also teaches the kids the importance of giving back to the community.