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VIDEO: GBS Students Give Back with Beach Clean-Up

Students from Glenbrook South's community service club pitched in for a beach sweep in Evanston .

Around 60 juniors and seniors from donated their time Saturday morning to "sweep" two Evanston beaches as part of a community service project.

The Interact Club at GBS arranged for students to throw away litter along the shores of both the Lee Street Beach and Clark Square Park Beach in Evanston.

"This is part of a program sponsored by the Alliance for the Great Lakes," explained Bill Lyon, a math teacher at GBS and a sponsor of Interact Club.

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The nonprofit organization monitors the water quality of all five Great Lakes. On top of ridding Lake Michigan's shoreline of trash, students also took notes of their findings and even took a water sample that environmental science students at GBS will analyze and report on.

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"They will analyze it and do some testing," said Lyon.

Ron Te, a senior, is one of the students working with the scientific aspect of the project.

"When we get back to school, we'll test the samples with the kit we were given, which will tell the condition of the water, what kind of contaminents are in it. It looked pretty clean."

Juniors participating in the beach sweep for the first time were enthusiastic about doing their part to help others.

"I decided to do Interact because I love getting involved and helping out the community," said Hannah Harmon, junior.

Others enjoyed the location of choice for their good deeds.

"If this beach was dirty, then no one would really want to come to it," said Megan Freeman, junior. "We're helping to make it better."

The club partipates in events nearly every week, including a monthly food preparation for those in need, helping the elderly rake leaves on their property, volunteering with seniors and special needs children, and more.

"We do a little bit of everything," said Lyon. "Students can pick and choose their events and do what they feel maybe hits closest to home. They can find their calling."

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