BLAINE HIGH SCHOOL – It was two o’clock on Sunday, and the volunteers of the “Clean-Up Blaine” crew had already begun picking up trash in Blaine High School’s backyard, along the North Parking Lot.

“It’s like a scavenger hunt,” said a volunteer, “…to see who can find the strangest piece of trash.” The school grounds were a mess: people had littered so much that there were was a myriad of wrappers, bags, cans, and bottles. Not to mention the other strange, miscellaneous things that the crew had found. Luckily, not everyone ignores all that trash like most people do.

“Clean-Up Blaine” was created by Carter Woetzel, for his Senior NHS project. He explains how it all began: “I got the idea for the project when I noticed how dirty our school parking lots were. They were littered with garbage. It made me angry that people could disrespect the environment in that way.”

Woetzel, along with leaders Babu Wanyeki, and Clint Carney, lead a crew of volunteers armed with gloves and black plastic bags around Blaine High School and Roosevelt Middle School. Their third destination will be Johnsville Elementary School this Thursday (4/6/17), from 5:15 to 7:00 in the evening.

At Blaine High School, the most interesting things found on the grounds weren’t left by humans. One volunteer found a little black snake with a long yellow stripes painted on its side. “It’s a Western Ribbon Snake,” she said, “We’re naming it Bob.”

A group of boy volunteers had made an eerie discovery: an animal skeleton. They suspected that it was a fox, as there was some rusty fur still stuck to the bones.

By four o’clock, the crew had collected seven full bags of trash and random items that varied from empty cans and bottles, a door, and a car mirror, to a pair of underwear. By the time the volunteers were finished at seven, they had collected a dumpster-full of trash.

“I never imagined that I would be excited to find piles of trash.” commented a volunteer. She explained, “It feels satisfying to discover big pieces of trash, pick them up, and leave knowing that you left the place cleaner compared to when you arrived.”

Woetzel and the other leaders wanted to let readers know that, “If we fill all the volunteer slots for Thursday at Johnsville, it would be great to finish on a high note. All we need is just a few more people to sign up.”

Signing up to participate in the “Clean-Up Blaine” project is a great way to earn volunteer hours while getting some fresh air, having an enjoyable time, and help Blaine look better and feel cleaner cleaner than before.

Sign up to become a part of the “Clean-Up Blaine” crew:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0d49a4ae2eabfa7-cleanup

Sign up for more volunteering opportunities:

http://anokahennepin.schoolwires.net/Page/32118