OGS Third Graders Spring Clean at Leisureland
by Debbie Berges
May 03, 2010
As part of Global Youth Service Day, the OGS third graders spent their afternoon, April 24, cleaning up around Leisureland Park in Onaga. The group chose to name themselves “Jo’s Dalmatians at Work”. Their activities included picking up all the blue rubber mulch that had been thrown outside the playground area, picking up trash around the Leisureland Park and ball diamonds, and planting flowers and bushes to beautify the area. Through a YAR (Youth as Resources) grant of $300.00, the class was able to purchases 200 periwinkles and 3 bushes for the Leisureland Park area. Part of the stipulations of the YAR grant is that the project is youth-planned and carried out by the youth. Several of the third graders were responsible for writing the grant.
Twenty-seven third graders, their parents, and several siblings turned out to help with the project, volunteering their time and talents. Special thanks for help on the project goes to Rhonda McLaughlin, Melissa Wright, Ivy Sender, Mike Roggenkamp, Roy Larson, and Jim Loucks for directing the students in the correct planting of the bushes and flowers. Mrs. Jo Harris, third grade teacher, and Mrs. Debbie Berges, OGS Counselor, sponsored the group.
