Need a project done? Rick Edwards Day of Service is Feb. 14

Marble Falls High School Principal Patrick Hinson poses for a photo with three of his students, Ella Shreve, West, and Isaiah Lazos, who all had good things to say about participating in Rick Edwards Day of Service. The annual day of giving back to the community is Feb. 14, 2025, and the school district is seeking project submissions until Jan. 31. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
No project is too big or too small for Marble Falls Independent School District students on Rick Edwards Day of Service, which is Feb. 14. Volunteer Mustangs will spread out across the community to complete submitted projects from organizations, businesses, and households.
The annual day of service is in honor of the late Rick Edwards, a longtime school board trustee who left behind a legacy of “service, humility and giving back.”
Over 1,100 Marble Falls High School students, and some from other MFISD campuses, are participating in the service work. The deadline to submit a project is Jan. 31.
Projects can be most anything, including yard work, painting, or spending time with residents at a senior living facility. Submit your project via an online application form or call 325-423-3662 for more information.
MFISD created the day of service in 2023 to honor the legacy and memory of Edwards, who died unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage in 2022. The MFISD trustee and resident was known as a staunch advocate for children and volunteerism.
“Rick was a very good friend of mine and a mentor,” MFISD Board of Trustees President Kevin Naumann told DailyTrib.com. “He was patient and kind and just loved to serve others. The way that we as a district chose to honor him was with this day of service.”
MFISD students will take Feb. 14 off from classes to perform the volunteer work from around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The district will provide transportation and lunches.
“It’s honestly one of the best days of the year for me,” Marble Falls High School Principal Patrick Hinson said. “To see our kids embrace a different side of education and rally around each other and work towards a common cause. Most of them probably don’t know who Rick Edwards is, they just see it as a day of service.”
Marble Falls High School senior Isaiah Lazos participated in the first two days of service in 2023 and 2024, and he plans to do so again this year. As a sophomore, he visited with elderly residents at an assisted living facility and helped tidy up alongside other students. As a junior, he cleaned cabins and outdoor areas at Camp Buckner.
“I think anyone who has a chance to go and participate should do it,” he said. “I feel like more people would do community service if they had more people to do it with. Doing it with your classmates and your friends makes it a lot easier.”
MFHS sophomore West participated in the 2024 event as a freshman with her color guard teammates.
“A day off of school is great, but we get to go out with people that we know and at the same time work for the community,” she said. “I thought it was awesome.”
Ella Shreve, another sophomore, and member of the MFHS cheer squad, plans to volunteer for a second straight year.
“My experience last year was honestly great, I had a blast,” she said. “You’re doing something with the people that you love and at the same time you’re helping the community.”
Despite not knowing much about Edwards as a person, all three students recognize the value of the day of service in his honor.
“(Edwards) lived a life of service, humility, and giving back, and that’s what we wanted to honor,” board President Naumann said. “Hopefully, we’re sparking something inside of the kids that are serving and getting those intangibles that come with thinking of yourself a little less and thinking of others a little more.”