DANVILLE, Va. – The banks of the Dan River in Danville are cleaner thanks to Averett University's baseball team.
On Wednesday, players and coaches helped pick up trash and collect water samples for the Dan River Basin Association.
The work is one of many service projects the university is doing this week as part of the "Week To Engage" campaign.
Dan River Basin Association Program Coordinator Brian Williams hoped to teach everyone about the importance of the association's work.
"Everybody depends on drinking water out of these rivers," Williams emphasized. "We have tons of downstream communities and Danville is one of those communities that depends on clean drinking water from the river."
Outfielder and pitcher Matt Tuggle said athletics and community involvement go hand in hand.
"You want to get out in the community and do your part and give back because (the community was) here for you when you needed it," Tuggle said.
Averett's assistant director of community engagement, Rachel Covington, said the university is happy to help the Dan River Basin Association.
"(The association is) always looking for volunteers. It just happened that we had 20 guys here ready to volunteer," Covington said.
The team also planted trees along the riverbank.