Little Falls Middle and High School students worked alongside community members Thursday to sweep the streets of Little Falls clean.
Organized by First Ward Alderwoman Teresa Lee, head of the Little Falls Tourism Committee and a teacher at Little Falls Middle School, the effort concentrated on Main and Albany streets, with the students sweeping the streets and sidewalks and preparing the flower beds for planting.
“When you personally take care of something and spruce it up, you take pride in it,” said Lee. “This effort is about community involvement, and creating a connection with others. This project is about motivating kids to branch out and become active members of their community.”
Lee said the students enjoyed themselves so much so that they are planning on conducting at least two more “clean sweep” days.
“The students took pride in their work. In fact, one student who had finished sweeping saw a person smoking and asked if they were going to throw their cigarette away, rather than throwing on the ground. It’s that connection with the community that makes this great,” said Lee.
Alderman Ed Becker not only recognized the efforts of the students, but worked alongside them with Common Council President Tom Long to clean Main Street. “This is a great idea, and I thank Teresa for organizing this effort and the students for volunteering,” said Becker.
While the seventh and eighth-graders were helping to clean the downtown area, the Learn and Serve America students and members of the Better World Club at Little Falls High School worked with the city’s Beautification Committee to clean Columbus Park and the Miracle Mile.
Lee thanked the school administration for allowing the students to take part in Thursday’s effort, and for their consideration of committing additional days before the end of the school year for other community cleaning projects, such as washing windows and raking.
The high school also celebrated “Paint Your School Purple Day” on Thursday, an activity that raised funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The Library Club sold raffle tickets for a basket of “purple stuff,” Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) sold purple ribbons and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and the Family and Consumer Science Department sold purple cookies, as each of the extracurricular groups sold purple items to raise funds for the school’s Relay for Life team.
On Wednesday, FBLA members, business students and family and consumer science students helped dig holes for the annual Benton Hall Academy Fifth Grade Tree Planting Project.