Hundreds of Scouts perform day of service on the National Mall in Washington

By Bryan Wendell | October 9, 2018

When our nation needs a helping hand, it often calls on the Boy Scouts of America.

More than 400 Scouts from around the Washington, D.C., area answered that call last month, delivering a day of service at the National Mall.

The National Mall, home to some of the country’s best-known monuments and museums, is one of the more high-profile places for an act of service. It’s visited by 35 million people each year, making it one of the country’s most popular National Park Service sites.

But the Scouts weren’t there for attention. They were there to work.

These young volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help clean up the river, paint park benches and spread mulch at the Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and Lincoln Memorial.

For their efforts, participants got a National Capital Area Council shoulder patch that features the district’s iconic cherry blossoms and the words “Service Corps 2018.”

National Public Lands Day

The timing for the event was no coincidence. Sept. 29 was the 25th anniversary of National Public Lands Day, and the Scouts gave the National Mall a perfect birthday gift.

By helping out at the National Mall, the Scouts became part of a critical effort to beautify what some people refer to as “America’s Front Yard.”

The Trust for the National Mall says volunteer work there saves the National Park Service nearly $1 million in labor costs every year.