BATON ROUGE - The Gardere Initiative continues its efforts to transform the neighborhood into a safe, healthy place for families.

"It's just bringing all of these people together to improve the lives of people in our community," event organizer Murelle Harrison said.

On Saturday, the organization got some help from LSU students for a belated Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

"We really fell in love with the Gardere Initiative, so we wanted to come out here and support that," student Kelsey Day said.

Day and her classmates used the opportunity to pick up trash around Hartley Park, working to make the community a healthier and safer area for families.

"It's something that we saw value in and really wanted to be a part of," Day said.

The event was previously canceled in January due to COVID-19 concerns, but Day says she and her friends are happy to help out -- even a month after Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"When people come together, we can do really great things and continue the legacy of a man who contributed so much for this country," Harrison said.

The organization gave out bikes to children at the event. Additionally, COVID-19 vaccines were given out to children over five years old.