Seventy Montgomery County high school students began the first day of their spring break in a way very different from most teens in the rest of the county.  Members of Montgomery County Recreation’s Sports Academy arrived dressed for the chilly morning from different schools to participate in service projects in the Silver Spring area.  Students chose various areas for clean-up or landscaping at Wheaton HS, the Lower and Upper branches of Long Branch Creek, Weller ES, Loiederman MS, Randolph Road, Dalewood, Hathaway area, and Long Branch Senior Center’s garden.

 The students who chose to clean up collected over 20 bags of litter, including a car tire.  Mary Pelz, director of the Long Branch Senior Center, observed that the students “did a great job.”  She added, “Students were shaping and breaking up the soil, preparing flowers beds and leveling off the dirt.” 

 The students helped to prepare the garden area and will return to support the seniors who will be planting vegetable and flower gardens later this spring.