For years, Mayfield Key Club has been tirelessly giving time to the community in order to improve the lives of others. During the fall season, this outreach is heightened.

Key Club eagerly welcomes Mayfield High School students to volunteer and make a difference in the community. Among the countless events that are conducted throughout the year, fall holds a copious amount of occasions due to the holidays. These include helping out at hayrides, and volunteering at Halloween parties, among other events.

Needless to say, Key Club is a truly unique experience for the students and the residents of Mayfield. Through the events, students get to branch out and see the world from a different perspective.

“In many cases, people will think that people with disabilities have more challenges than able-body people, but in reality it’s not harder, it’s different. The adaptive game night is just another way to see how the disabled community is just like the able-body community,” said Lauren Bell, a MHS sophomore speaking of the game nights that serves special needs residents.

Jerry Turk, the dedicated advisor of the club for around nine years, said, “I’m addicted to Key Club because it brings out the best in our students. All I have to do is see them in action, and I know that I’m in the perfect job in the perfect school.”

Along with the impact Key Club has on its members, it also does a great deal for the public. From simply raking leaves to serving food, the volunteers go above and beyond to improve the lives of others. It is a noticeable effect too, as several members have spoken on the changes they see take place right before them.

When asked about the fall leaf rake and how it impacts those who Key Club assists, Turk said,“Among my favorite moments of the school year is when I knock on their door and I tell them what the Key Club members and I are doing for them. I get to see the surprise and awe in their faces. They can’t believe that high school students would take the time to help them.”

Carli Stewart, a sophomore at MHS and new member of the club, is eager to volunteer this season. She said, “I mean, everything we do is helping the community.”

Regardless of the event a student participates in, they are bound to enjoy themselves and be enriched through the process. Fall is a busy time for the club and has significantly more opportunities to volunteer.

Not all events occurring this season are necessarily fall themed. While there are plenty of haunted hayrides or Halloween parties at elementary schools, there are also Hospice dinners and CEVEC dances. Turk, speaking of the Hospice dinner that students prepare, said, “There is a lot of sadness there, but we bring 15 students that bring food, fun and joy to people that badly need a break from their physical and emotional trials.” These events, while they might occur later in the year as well, are just as relevent as the traditional fall activities.

Despite the time Key Club members give, they hardly view it as a chore. The members are delighted to help out, and sometimes forget they were volunteering in the first place. Working events can very easily become an enjoyable event for the students. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it work,” Bell said.

With Halloween and other fall festivities, it is a given that there would be several events in need of volunteers. Corn mazes, hayrides, and Halloween parties are all reoccurring events each year. Since these events require several volunteers, every member can play a role in this busy season.