Volunteers across the state rallied to improve their local parks, public spaces, waterways, hiking trails, sidewalks, and streets by participation in the Department of Environmental Protection’s WV Make It Shine activities.

The Ralph R. Willis Career/Technical Center’s WV Make It Shine activities were part of a larger national effort that involved nearly 3 million people.

The students of RRWCTC, led by Leo Club members, cleaned school grounds by picking up litter, recycling aluminum, sweeping sidewalks, and weeding flower beds. The Leo Club is the youth organization of Lions Club International. The Leo Club with the Logan Lions Club has been providing leadership skills and community service opportunities for the students of RRWCTC for over five years.

In celebration of Earth Day 2009, the Leo Club members pledged to reduce their use of plastic items, especially plastic shopping or grocery bags. One hundred reusable shopping bags were distributed to students and faculty along with a pledge card declaring “Make Every Day Earth Day. Reduce, reuse and recycle.”

The WV Make It Shine program is part of Governor Manchin’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan initiative under the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. All of West Virginia’s volunteer-driven cleanup programs fall under REAP—The Next Generation.