By Laura Churchill Duke
LIVERPOOL - Exit 19 in Liverpool is now cleaner thanks to a group of 11 students, five Kiwanis members and one teacher who participated in a recent highway cleanup.
The group, who worked for over two hours, collected more than 15 bags of garbage as part of their bi-annual clean-up. This is the 12th year the work has been done as part of the Provincial Adopt-A-Highway Program.
The participating students were there through the Liverpool Regional Highschool’s (LRHS) Key Club. According to teacher liaison Anne Swim, the Key Club stands for Kiwanis Educating Youth and is part of an international organization. The mandate, explains Swim, is to cultivate leadership skills in high school students through volunteering in the school and community, running meetings, planning events and holding elections. The club is completely student driven, with only Swim as a staff advisor, and Ted Bulley, founding member of the Key Club at the school, acting as support.
“At the meetings our student-led executive team review past events, bring new events to the members’ attention and ask for available volunteers,” says Swim.
This year, there are 21 members, who have participated in several events this year in addition to the Exit 19 clean up.
“We've helped with the LRHS track meet at Pine Grove, assisted Kiwanis members during Peanut Day at various locations in Liverpool, helped organizers of the blood donor clinic held at our school and crime prevention breakfasts when they are held,” says Swim.
Other activities include fundraisers such as the annual Valentine’s tea and selling tickets on gift baskets to support local initiatives, such as the LRHS Key Club scholarship. This year’s district project is fundraising for Sleeping Children Around the World, which is a 100 per cent charitable, global organization that purchases bed kits for children in third-world countries, says Swim.
In the spring, the LRHS Key Club plans to do another cleanup of Exit 19 as well as one of the local school grounds. Members will also help the local Kiwanis Club at their 86th annual Christmas Concert on Dec. 3.
Any student at LRHS in Grade 9 to 12 is welcome to attend the meetings, which are held every Thursday at lunchtime.
Did you know?
The LRHS Key Club has been running for 16 years at the school, and is one of seven clubs in the Maritimes.
