By Tanmay Ahluwalia, special to the North Delta Reporter
Young environmentalists from Delview Secondary scavenged trash at Delview Park the afternoon of Monday, April 22 as part of an Earth Day clean up organized by the school’s Leos Club (youth branch of the International Association of Lions Clubs).
About 30 students — divided into teams of up to five — participated in the friendly cleanup competition. Participants were provided with gloves, bags and an area map to help them collect as many garbage items as possible.
Each item collected served as an entry for a prize draw, with the winner receiving a spring gift basket. Local adults, too, later joined the kids in their efforts.
Grade 10 student and club secretary Joshua Thoreson emphasized that the cleanup was not only beneficial for the environment but also an important step in making the park a “safer space” for the community.
“We also wanted to give people more chance to enjoy their city and their community,” he added.
The now-annual Earth Day cleanup, which was launched last year, was a big success. The club was able to collect thousands of pieces of trash, filling about seven garbage bins.
Reflecting on the impact of last year’s cleanup, Thoreson said, “we saw the difference [the cleanup initiative] made last year and we really wanted to do it again.”
“We were able to clean so much,” he added.
A passionate environmentalist, Thoreson stressed the significance of Earth Day, considering it “almost a movement for people who want to make the world a better place.
In his message to the public, he expressed gratitude to everyone who cares about the environment and supported the club’s event.
Alongside Thoreson was Grade 9 student Kookie Sethi, club founder and past president. Sethi shared that her personal experiences at Delview Park motivated her for the cleanup.
“I used to come here at lunch and realized that there was a lot of trash on the ground. So then we came up with this idea,” she explained.
Initially the club had only 10 members, and Sethi said she was excited to see the club expand in just one year. She also urged people not to ignore when they see trash on the ground.
“Just give back to the environment because it gives a lot to you.”
The school’s principal, Kevin Vasconcelos, also attended the event, and said he was proud of his students “for looking for opportunities to clean up this space for the entire community.”
“It makes me proud. (…) I’m incredibly proud to see so many of our students signing up to be part of this really important initiative.”
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