Colorado State University students trimmed bushes and raked leaves over the weekend as part Off-Campus-Life‘s annual fall clean up. The event aims to help Fort Collins community members with yard work and other tasks they are unable to do themselves.

Fall Cleanup started in 2005 with 50 student volunteers. In 2015, volunteers had grown to over 1,200, according to the off campus life website.

The goal of the event is to get students out in the community to help the elderly or physically impaired. On Saturday, students trimmed bushes, raked leaves and did yard work. Students also picked up bags of leaves the next day.

Volunteers are comprised of students, staff, faith based organizations and other CSU affiliated groups.

Residents being helped by the students were happy to have students who were eager to help out. Gladys Ellerman, a resident in one of the communities that was helping to supervise the activities, believes it’s a mutual benefit between students and the community.

“Students will someday have a home and have to do (these tasks),” Ellerman said. “For us, it is a blessing because a lot of us cannot do it. It’s a mutual admiration.”

Mackie Kopp, a senior studying Business, believes fall cleanup is a great time for college kids to realize how much more there is to Fort Collins.

“It’s nice to get outside the circle of Fort Collins and realize how many people support CSU,” Kopp said. “They are here for us all year, so it’s time for us to be there for them.”

Many volunteer opportunities are available at CSU throughout the year in addition to fall cleanup. CSUnity, alternative spring break and project homeless connect are all events centered around helping the community that will take place later in the academic year.

Collegian reporter Allec Brust can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @Brustyyy.