700 National Fuel employees in Erie volunteered to clean up Woodrow Wilson Middle School on Earth Day as a part of their "Days of Doing" event. 

Volunteers also focused on Erie's West Bayfront, where they'll be assisting with tree assessment or helping with a house renovation through Wednesday. 

In total, over 2,300 service hours will be volunteered across the three days. 

Wilson Middle School Principal Michael Pisano says it's great to see the community coming together to clean up the school, and says they owe a large thanks to United Way's Community School program, which organized the cleanup at the school with National Fuel. 

"Since we've become a Community School in the last couple of years, our Community School Director Julia Boyd, she's been organizing this event," said Pisano.

"And with our new partners at National Fuel, they've brought over about 25 or 30 people today to help with this cleanup, and we've been doing it for a couple of years now but with all the support that we're getting through the Community School model, it's really turned into a great event today." 

Pisano says students also get the chance to help clean up the school grounds.

"The great thing is getting the kids involved with some of the community members," continue Pisano. "We are bringing out a handful of our students from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and they're going to be a part of helping clean up the property. We are planting some flowers, we're doing some nice things all around the building."

And Mike Colpoys, Senior Vice President of National Fuel, says they're not just helping Erie, but communities across Western New York and Northwest Pennsylvania as well.

"We did the West Bayfront last year with Safe Net, we've done cleanup at Presque Isle State Park, and I think it's important to note that a lot of these projects are in our Western New York service territory as well, where there's a bunch of parks up there that we participate in. And down in PA, we are in Mercer County at Goddard State Park, we're at Clear Creek State Park down in the Brookville area, and I know we're over in Kane cleaning up as well."

But it's not just National Fuel volunteers cleaning up the school this Earth Day - volunteers from other local organizations are lending a hand as well. 

"We're so grateful for this partnership with National Fuel on their Days of Doing," said Julia Boyd, Community School Director of United Way.

"They're here today along with the Afghan community of Erie and Love Your Block to help us beautify our grounds, because we really truly believe that when our students are coming into a clean environment, that will help them have their best mindset and be prepared to come in and study, and also know that we care about them and that they matter very much to us."