West Lauderdale has many opportunities for extracurricular involvement. Amongst these, a couple of new clubs have been added to the mix this year, one of these being the Knights of Service. Founded by Preston Wilson, the Knights of Service is a club focused on getting West Lauderdale students involved in helping their community through service projects.
Preston Wilson, the President of the club, shared that his motivation was to create equal opportunities for students to be involved in a community service club. Currently, several student clubs are involved in community service: National Honor Society, Debs, and Dustys. However, NHS is limited to upperclassmen, and Debs and Dustys are limited to girls. The creation of the Knights of Service allows all students to participate in service projects.
Involvement in the Knights of Service also allows students to gain community service hours, thus preparing them to join NHS in the junior year. Helping prepare underclassmen, Preston shared, is one of the club’s goals. More importantly, however, Preston stated that the Knights of Service aims to “allow students to positively impact their community.”
Ryleigh Turbville, a highly active member of the club, shared her thoughts on why she joined:
“I joined Knights of Service in hopes of playing a better role in the community. I hope to bring passion and drive to help support local businesses and those who need a little extra help.”
Currently, the Knights of Service is involved in a canned food drive with the Wesley House. They are seeking to collect cans to provide food to families that are going hungry this Thanksgiving.
Students who are interested in being involved in this project, joining the Knights of Service, or participating in community service projects in the future, are encouraged to reach out to Preston Wilson or Brooke Baltzel, the Vice President.
Preston concluded his statements about the club by saying:
“Even if you’re not a part of this club, your involvement with it still impacts our community. Whether that be donating cans or participating in any of our service projects, your efforts directly improve the community.”
