By Julia Burke and Ally Slocum

On August 19, 2014, approximately 150 Westborough High School student athletes in cardinal colored t-shirts volunteered around town. As part of the second annual Rangers Give Back Day, students were found mulching at the elementary schools, window washing at the DPW, or eating lunch with Beaumont residents. With such a big event, you may be wondering how it was so successful. The answer: hard work and dedication from Olivia Natale.

A sophomore at WHS, Natale is an active leader and athlete in the Westborough High School community through her involvement in Student Council, New Student Ambassadors, and Rangers for a Cure, as well as the soccer, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field programs. Rangers Give Back is geared towards fall sports teams with a goal of starting the season and school year off on a good note through team bonding and, most importantly, giving back to the community.

Last year, Mia Natale, now a graduate of WHS, started Rangers Give Back with the purpose of showing appreciation and acknowledgement of the impact the community has on athletics, both financially and through spirit. Natale, who is Mia’s younger sister, gladly continued the event in hope of making it annual.

Along with the tremendous help of junior Katie Bretta and athletic director Johanna DiCarlo, Natale spent four months organizing Rangers Give Back. The event also received help from Prologo and the Booster Club. To continue the event from the previous year, the athletes generally helped the same organizations. To plan the jobs each team would be doing, Natale emailed the different organizations asking what work needed to be done. She then matched the number of athlete participants for each team with the job that worked best based on numbers.

When asked to describe herself in three words, Natale answered:  ambitious, focused, and outgoing, all of which helped her in the organizing the event. Being ambitious helped her because she was able to take on such a big responsibility. A focused mindset allowed her to stay organized and make sure the day ran smoothly. Lastly, her outgoing personality allowed her to make relationships with the people helped through the event as well as motivate student athletes to participate.

“The toughest part was organizing the teams and what their jobs would be but team leaders worked really hard to rally team members and get them excited to participate,” Natale describes. “It wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without all their hard work.”

The teams did three hours of community service at the local public schools; they spent time mulching, weeding, picking up trash, and installing picnic benches. They also worked at the DPW, Forbes Building, and Beaumont Retirement Home.

Natale says the event was very successful and was excited that they had just as many people participate as last year, with just as much enthusiasm. “It was great to see some athletes finish at their site and willingly help out at another friend’s site after,” Natale explains. Her favorite part of the day was getting to visit all the different sites and see the teams together enjoying themselves. “Seeing the appreciation from all the people we gave even the smallest helping hand was so gratifying,” she added.

When asked if she planned on continuing the event next year, Natale answered, “Absolutely!” For countless hours of behind the scenes effort and organization, fall student athletes owe Olivia Natale a big thank you for such a great day.