Number of Participants: 21
Hours Donated: 10
Value of Time Served: $7,306
Event Type: Civic & Community
Activity: Football
School: Kasson-Mantorville High School
Date: September 11, 2025
Location:
Kasson-Mantorville Senior High School
16th Street Northeast, Kasson
MN
About:
On the football field, the Kasson-Mantorville KoMets are known for their grit, determination, and teamwork. But recently, the players traded their cleats for work gloves and the scoreboard for a wheelbarrow.
Twenty-one KoMets showed up with shovels, rakes, and plenty of spirit to tackle a different kind of challenge: moving 12 yards of mulch to refresh the K-M Elementary Peace Garden. With laughter, good-natured ribbing, and more than a little muscle, the team made quick work of the task.
“They were all in,” said K-M Elementary Peace Garden Coordinator Sharie Furst. “The same way they pull together on the field, they pulled together here. It was really something to see.”
The Peace Garden, tucked into the school grounds, is more than just a pretty corner of greenery. It’s a living classroom where students explore nature with their hands and hearts. Teachers use it to spark lessons in science, math, art, and even social studies. Measuring plant growth becomes a math problem. Painting kindness rocks turns into art with a purpose. Designing stepping stones teaches planning and creativity.
Beyond academics, the garden teaches patience, teamwork, and responsibility. Students care for living things, learn to problem-solve, and gain empathy as they watch seeds sprout into flowers. It provides a peaceful space where children can unplug from screens, connect with nature, and discover the joy of reflection.
For the KoMets, lending a hand was about more than mulch. It was about investing in a space that gives so much back to younger students. By pitching in, the players ensured this outdoor haven will continue to be a place where kids can learn, grow, and find calm.
This project was born out of a larger team effort to strengthen community connections. Last spring, when asked how they could better serve their school and community, the KoMets had no shortage of ideas: volunteering at local events, mentoring younger athletes, cheering on other activities, and serving as positive role models. Those ideas quickly turned into action.
This season, the team has led a summer youth football camp, volunteered at flag football games, joined Kasson’s Festival in the Park and Mantorville’s Marigold Days Parade, signed rally towels for younger players, greeted elementary students with high-fives on game-day mornings, and even read to elementary classrooms during the school day. All of these commitments led to one of their most meaningful projects yet: partnering with Sharie Furst to beautify the Peace Garden.
The impact of their service was felt far beyond the flower beds. For the players, it was another chance to live out the values of grit, determination, and unity. For the school community, it was a reminder that victories don’t always come with a final whistle. Sometimes, they grow from teamwork, service, and the simple act of giving back.
With grins on their faces, the KoMets who are used to moving the ball down the field moved mulch across the garden—and once again scored big for their community.
