Marines with Recruiting Station Denver conducted team building and leadership drills during a Marine Day event at Highlands Ranch High School in Highlands Ranch, CO August 28, 2016.
“The Marine Day is good chance for our kids to connect with people outside the building who focus on things like teamwork and pride and honor in what you do,” said Chris Page, principal of Highlands Ranch High School. ““You’re never too young to learn about leadership and teamwork. Most importantly, in today’s society, when people can pick up a cell phone and get so isolated from one another, there’s something special that comes with camaraderie, with working together. I know that one thing this day does a good job of is teaching the kids how to work together as a community.”
Sgt. Christopher Hemkes, a recruiter with RS Denver, also echoed the importance of teaching leadership and teamwork skills.
“The best part about the Marine Day is that it brings all the sports together,” said Hemkes. “This is a good time for them to get a workout in, but most importantly, they learn about teambuilding exercises that help them coordinate better as a group, not just in their individual sports, but in the real world too. Whatever avenue they choose to take in life, whether it be the military, college, or another option, leadership is what’s going to drive them to success.”
Families were also in attendance of the event, providing food and refreshments to students and Marines participating in the slew of physical challenges.
“It’s great for the families out here to see that Marines aren’t just about running toward the sounds of chaos and fighting wars. We’re still here for the community and to help out in any way possible.”
This marks the second Marine Day at Highlands Ranch High School. Page mentioned that the Marine Day started off as a goal to use team building activities to bring the high school football team together. Now that the event draws participants from multiple sports, Page says he wants to continue to grow the Marine Day throughout the coming years.
“I don’t think the general public sees this level of giving back that happens from our armed forces,” said Page. “It’s easy to do training and invite people to come out and see what the services are doing. But when they’re taking time out of their day to go to the high schools, that shows how dedicated the Marines are to the community. Some people feel like the military is disconnected from this kind of life sometimes, but this proves that isn’t true.”