Photo Provided Wheeling Park High School students take part in Patriot Day of Caring. Shown from left are Guillaume Weimer, Jacob McPhail, Dylan Barker, Emily Higgs and Dorothy Romanek.

Wheeling Park High School seniors are showing they care through numerous community service projects.

Patriot Day of Caring took place at locations throughout Wheeling last week. Wheeling Park seniors who have already taken the SAT test are taking part in community-service projects at a number of locations throughout the city.

Wheeling Park High School Associate Principal Meredith Dailer said school administrators value civic responsibility and the importance of giving back through active participation within the community. For that reason, students participating in this service-learning opportunity were not considered absent.

Students had the option to volunteer at a number of organizations. Those included the Catholic Charities Neighborhood Center, House of the Carpenter, Ohio County Animal Shelter, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, the Wheeling Soup Kitchen, King’s Daughters Child Care Center, Seeing Hand Association and the Wheeling Recreation Department.

Wheeling Park senior Jacob McPhail and several of his friends decided to volunteer their time removing litter from Heritage Port. He said he believes Patriot Day of Caring is a great idea.

“We chose to work here (at Heritage Port), but some students wanted to volunteer at organizations that have special meaning to them,” McPhail said. “All of the organizations we were able to choose from are great organizations, but I know some students were able to volunteer at places that had special meaning to them. Some of them received permission to volunteer at nursing homes or hospitals. … We’ve already taken the (SAT) test, so Patriot Day of Caring gives us the ability to make a positive impact in the community.”