Members of a Rotary Club recently joined forces with the Apache Junction Unified School District staff and students to speed up the process around the track renovation at Apache Junction High School, 2525 S. Ironwood Road in Apache Junction.

Rotary Club of Superstition Mountain members, led by Jeff Mitchell, painted the lines in the student parking along AJHS Student Council members on April 15.

On April 18 the Rotary volunteer crew returned and painted the fire lanes with AJHS football coaches Bruce Binkley and Tim McKee and the high school football team. Paint and painting supplies were donated by Brian Kabat from Ace Hardware in Apache Junction.

The Rotary Club completed the work as part of the group’s service project. The mission of the Rotary is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through our fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Under the direction of coaches Binkley and McKee and the team’s captains, the AJHS football team also makes volunteerism a central part of the team’s efforts to serve as leaders in the community both on and off the field.

“The project was excellent as we were able to involve our students and Rotarians serving together,” said Mitchell. “It looks beautiful now and was clearly a much-needed service opportunity.”

Mitchell said he was involved as the Community Service Project coordinator for the Rotary Club of Superstition Mountain and was looking for a project to do in the community.

The timing was fortuitous as the work coincided with the Annual Rotary Week of Service. Mitchell and members of the Rotary were able to paint the railing at the high school last year and reached out to AJUSD Superintendent Heather Wallace about another project.

Wallace suggested the student parking lot and fire lane painting and the collaboration begun. The project is one of many of AJUSD’s joint ventures with local businesses, civic organizations, students and staff.

AJHS emphasizes a well-rounded education where academics, sports and extracurricular activities allow students to grow scholastically, physically and emotionally. AJHS graduates have access to more scholarships per student than in most communities in the Valley and qualifying students have access to Promise for the Future to earn a tuition-free education at Central Arizona College.

Registration for all new students who wish to enroll in Apache Junction Unified School District schools are currently being accepted at all school locations. For more information about AJUSD or its schools or departments, go to ajusd.org.

Editor’s note: Sally Marks is the public relations specialist for Apache Junction Unified School District.