On Monday, teenagers and young adults gathered together to help improve their community.

It was a part of the MLK Day of Service put on by the Global Peace Foundation in partnership with other organizations, including the City of Lynnwood and several others, but the approximately 80 volunteers also came from Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds and even as far away Everett.

Volunteers said they came to help the community and do some hands-on work. Some wanted to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. by giving back.

Organizers were pleased with the turnout.

“You have turned your day off into a day on to help your community,” project coordinator Naomi Yakawich said to the group before they got to work.

Then everyone headed outside for a group photo before splitting up into two big groups – the indoor group and the outdoor group.

The outdoor group dug their shovels into piles of gravel and spread it out about two inches thick along a path near the Lynnwood Golf Course, located at 20200 68th Ave. W. The heavily used trail was worn down to wet mud, but volunteers made quick work of it.

Inside, volunteers painted motivational posters that will be hung at Meadowdale Elementary School for spirit week starting Tuesday morning. Many of the teens painting the posters attend Meadowdale High School.

Organizers say community projects like these help develop leadership qualities in teens and young adults.

“Everyday leaders serve a higher purpose, not just themselves,” Yakawich said. “If they have a mindset of serving others, we can make a difference. Martin Luther King was all about that.”

–By Natalie Covate