It's designed to be an opportunity to give back to the community. But for the Warwick High School girls' soccer team, the Adopt-A-Highway program is a team-bonding experience, a springboard to success, a program tradition.

The Warriors are civic-minded and like-minded.

On two weekend mornings each year, players from the Warwick girls' soccer team pick up trash and generally maintain a two-mile stretch of Broad Street/Route 501 in Lititz. The Adopt-A-Highway program is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

"It teaches them how to work within a team, how to overcome challenges," said Warwick head coach Wendell Hannaford. "Taking just a little bit of time for the community says a lot about a person's character. These kids are smart and genuine people who I know will have very successful futures."

The Warriors truly make the best out of an unseemly chore.

Typically, Warwick breaks its team down into three trash-seeking squads to get the job done. It usually takes about 90 minutes to cover their 2-mile stretch of Broad Street, with the girls "picking up every single cigarette butt."

"They take the time to do it well," said Hannaford. "I always think I'll have to get them motivated, but there's none of that. They take pride in doing it. It seems to resonate with the players why they're there. No one's every complained or pouted or had a bad attitude. They cherish the time with their friends. They're in it together."

"Adopt-A-Highway is something our team does as a way to give back and take care of our community," said Warrior senior captain Autumn Horst. "We go around town in groups and pick up all the trash we can find. This is a great way for the team to bond and work together. I really enjoy Adopt-A-Highway because even just an hour of picking up trash truly makes a difference in our community."

Adopt-A-Highway has been an annual Warwick girls' soccer tradition since 2004, when former head coach Mike Logan instituted it. When Hannaford took over in 2016, he could find no reasons to discontinue doing it.

"The strongest programs, at every level, have strong traditions," said Hannaford. "There's a connection from the present to the past. When I became the head coach, it's something I took as a legacy. Like those who wore the jersey in the past participated in Adopt-A-Highway. The Lititz community is truly a tight-knit community. I feel like it's a good way for our players to step in, become leaders in our community and show that we care."

As other ways to connect with the Lititz community, the Warwick girls' soccer team also stages a youth soccer camp every summer and hosts youth nights at home games throughout the season. Before the pandemic, the Warriors volunteered by spending time with residents at Luther Acres Retirement Community.

"Without community, you're just kind of a person and you're just kind of going through it," said Hannaford. "The community is made up of people who share our victories and support us in our worst moments. Community helps people grow. It develops character. To be able to give back helps you become involved in that community. To me, community is everything."