A group of seventh-grade students from Wilson School joined with many other civic-minded citizens in participating in a city-wide cleanup activity organized under the auspices of Mayor David Gonzalez and the City of Chicago Heights.
During the event, more than 200 volunteers banded together to clean more than 20 miles of the city's streets. A recycling drop-off point also was provided for residents to recycle or dispose of various items.
"I am proud of my students for coming out on a Saturday so close to the end of the school year to help clean up the neighborhood," said Wilson School teacher Elizabeth Perez.
"I hope other students from District 170 will be encouraged to come out more often and set up neighborhood clean-up activities for their areas of residence in the future."
"Keeping our community clean encourages other individuals to litter less and make better decisions about their environment, and I would like to thank Second Ward Alderman Sonia Perez for inviting Wilson students to volunteer and make a difference in the community," Perez concluded.
Seventh-grade student Lizzy Guerrero described her enthusiasm at being able to participate in such a worthwhile endeavor.
"I was invited to help our community clean up the trash that was on the roads/sidewalks, and I felt good helping our community because it gives us a cleaner environment," Guerrero said.
"I would like to encourage others to help do what my classmates and I did today," she continued. "Helping our community should be something that people always do without complaining, and I thank Ms. Perez, for inviting my friends and me to do this activity."
The Wilson School students who took part in the city-wide cleanup activity policing an area from Wallace and 26th Street to East End Ave and Main Street, were Lizzy Guerrero, Omar Guerrero, America Antunes, and Ivan Espino.