Sometimes, making a difference means putting on some work gloves and grabbing a rake.

That is exactly what the Carter County Citizens in Action group did Saturday. The group, armed with a pressure washer, landscaping tools and the want to do good, cleaned up the veterans memorial wall in downtown Elizabethton in preparation for the upcoming Fourth of July celebrations.

“What we are doing is very small in comparison to what the individuals whose names are on the wall have done,” Citizens in Action president Scott Snell said. “Everybody wants to celebrate the Fourth of July, but we have to remember without these people there would not be a Fourth of July.”

This was the second time the group, which has been in action for roughly seven years, has cleaned up the veterans memorial wall in downtown Elizabethton, and they are always looking for other projects to tackle. Currently, the group is looking for a project to complete in August.

On hand at Saturday’s cleanup where Bob Bland and John Bland, each of whom has been a member of Citizens in Action for five years. The two said that the group, which has helped organization like the Boys and Girls Club in Elizabethton, the animal shelter, and the Appalachian Regional Ministries, just wants to make a difference in the community.

“A lot organizations don’t have the time and money to do the things we can help them with,” John Bland said.

For group member Roy Livingston, who is one of the original members of the group, Saturday’s cleanup hit close to home. Livingston, who is a veteran, has his name on the wall in downtown Elizabethton, along with his father, Luther Livingston, and brother, Jerry Livingston.

“We try to support it every way that we can,” Livingston said about the Carter County community.

The group is always looking to grow its membership, and would like to see more youth join the organization, Snell, who has been a member since 2011, said. The group meets every month on the third Thursday inside the Carter County Courthouse at 6 p.m. Also, if anyone is interested in joining the group and have questions, they can contact Jean Rhea at harvel@etsu.edu or at 423­-262­-7963.