Men's Cross Country Takes Over "Adopt-A-Road" Initiative
4/22/2024 3:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Paul Pagoda joined the Lehigh Athletics events staff as a way to stay connected with his community. Coincidentally, it was also around that time that he began participating in the "Adopt-A-Road" program.
"I signed up for the program because I wanted to try and make some difference in the community where I lived," said Pagoda, who has worked with both Lehigh and Adopt-A-Road since 2010.
The program allows for someone to be tasked with keeping a certain roadway clean. Pagoda has been overseeing the entirety of College Drive, located just north of Lehigh's Goodman Campus, ensuring the area stays clean for over 14 years. However, he has recently enlisted the help of Lehigh student-athletes, specifically the men's cross country team, to help him keep the road trash-free.
"In late 2023 I began contemplating retirement from the Adopt-A-Road program. After sustaining two injuries to my legs, the task of picking up litter along that 3-mile loop became to be a bit too much for me physically," said Pagoda. "It was perhaps a case of divine intervention that I met Coach Etters."
Todd Etters, who has been at the helm of the men's cross country program for the past 16 seasons, recently began getting involved with Adopt-A-Road. He and his team volunteered to help Pagoda clean the area this past winter, and also agreed to take over the responsibility from him in the process.
"We helped [Paul] in the past… He suggested that he wants to retire and I thought it would be great if the cross country team could take over the roads that he had been taking care of," said Etters. "We're working with both Bethlehem and Lower Saucon Township to be able to go down and pick up any trash we see. For us, we utilize these roads as running places, and we want to be able to do our part."
After agreeing to take over for Pagoda, the team played their role this past Sunday, helping clean College Drive and it's surrounding areas ahead of Monday's Earth Day holiday. Etters and his runners spent their morning picking up trash and playing their part in helping to keep Lehigh's streets clean.
"I think we have a lot of guys that look at the area surrounding Lehigh as an area that really is a part of their environment," said Etters. "We felt like we wanted to be able to give back, and we know we're not the only ones who use the roads. To be able to play a small role and helping keep the roads in good shape we thought was a no-brainer."
After a successful clean up on Sunday, College Drive will now be overseen by Etters and the men's cross country program for years to come.
"For us, it kind of just makes sense that you want to be a part of keeping the environment in good shape," said Etters. "It's an easy fix that we can handle, and we take a lot of pride in being able to help out."
Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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"I signed up for the program because I wanted to try and make some difference in the community where I lived," said Pagoda, who has worked with both Lehigh and Adopt-A-Road since 2010.
The program allows for someone to be tasked with keeping a certain roadway clean. Pagoda has been overseeing the entirety of College Drive, located just north of Lehigh's Goodman Campus, ensuring the area stays clean for over 14 years. However, he has recently enlisted the help of Lehigh student-athletes, specifically the men's cross country team, to help him keep the road trash-free.
"In late 2023 I began contemplating retirement from the Adopt-A-Road program. After sustaining two injuries to my legs, the task of picking up litter along that 3-mile loop became to be a bit too much for me physically," said Pagoda. "It was perhaps a case of divine intervention that I met Coach Etters."
Todd Etters, who has been at the helm of the men's cross country program for the past 16 seasons, recently began getting involved with Adopt-A-Road. He and his team volunteered to help Pagoda clean the area this past winter, and also agreed to take over the responsibility from him in the process.
"We helped [Paul] in the past… He suggested that he wants to retire and I thought it would be great if the cross country team could take over the roads that he had been taking care of," said Etters. "We're working with both Bethlehem and Lower Saucon Township to be able to go down and pick up any trash we see. For us, we utilize these roads as running places, and we want to be able to do our part."
After agreeing to take over for Pagoda, the team played their role this past Sunday, helping clean College Drive and it's surrounding areas ahead of Monday's Earth Day holiday. Etters and his runners spent their morning picking up trash and playing their part in helping to keep Lehigh's streets clean.
"I think we have a lot of guys that look at the area surrounding Lehigh as an area that really is a part of their environment," said Etters. "We felt like we wanted to be able to give back, and we know we're not the only ones who use the roads. To be able to play a small role and helping keep the roads in good shape we thought was a no-brainer."
After a successful clean up on Sunday, College Drive will now be overseen by Etters and the men's cross country program for years to come.
"For us, it kind of just makes sense that you want to be a part of keeping the environment in good shape," said Etters. "It's an easy fix that we can handle, and we take a lot of pride in being able to help out."
Follow Lehigh Cross Country/Track and Field on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram for continued updates on the Mountain Hawks.
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