Senator Nation Athletes from All 20 Teams Sweep Through Downtown Elkins for Student Athlete Cleanup Day

ELKINS, W.Va. — August 20, 2025 — The strong partnership between the City of Elkins and Davis & Elkins College (D&E) was on full display this afternoon as the entire Senator Nation athletic department mobilized for the annual Student Athlete Clean Up Day throughout downtown Elkins.

Athletes from all 20 D&E men’s and women’s teams – including women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field, and volleyball, and men’s baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, and wrestling – fanned out across the city after gathering supplies at the Elkins Fire Department station. Equipped with gloves, garbage bags, brooms, and trash grabbers, the teams and their coaches cleaned a large area spanning from the Davis Avenue Bridge and the Train Depot to City Hall and the intersection of Third and Kerens.

“This is your community for the next several months, and we are so happy to have you come here and help make this town a better place,” said Mayor Jerry Marco, a D&E alumnus (Class of 1990), addressing the athletes and coaches before the cleanup began. “We’re grateful for this partnership and look forward to it growing even stronger.” Mayor Marco then joined the cleanup efforts alongside several City employees.

The event was the latest in a series of joint initiatives between the City and the College. Mayor Marco has also spoken at recent D&E events, including a safety training for residents and the college’s matriculation ceremony last Friday for new students. D&E has had a strong recruiting year, with a reported 279 new students enrolling this fall.

“D&E is an important cornerstone for Elkins, and we’re willing to partner with the college anytime they need the City’s support,” said Leon Kaye, the City of Elkins’ communication manager and an adjunct faculty member at D&E. “We’re thankful that Athletic Director Jennifer Riggleman and all the coaches inspired their athletes—all of Senator Nation—to come downtown today and show what the term ‘community’ is all about.”

Information on D&E Athletics and its various teams’ schedules can be found at: https://senatornation.com/.

About D&E: Davis & Elkins College, also known as D&E, is a private liberal arts college located in Elkins, which is the heart of the West Virginia Highlands. The school was founded in 1904 and is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). It was named for Henry G. Davis and his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins who were both members of the United States Senate from West Virginia. https://www.dewv.edu/