Kevin Betsch ’26 and Hudson Marshall ’27 stand over an air mattress picked up on clean-up day. Photo provided.
Every spring, Northwood students take a break from their co-curricular activities and participate in a schoolwide effort to clean up certain parts of Lake Placid and the surrounding area. This is to celebrate Earth Day and help keep Lake Placid clean and free of garbage. Each group is assigned a specific area or stretch of road and given vests, helmets, trash bags, and gloves to get the job done. While most students originally view this as a chore, it turns out to be quite fun, and you never know what you may find on the side of the road!
This year, the open gym co-curricular was in charge of cleaning a stretch of road leading out of Lake Placid. The group spread out along the roadside, carefully scanning the ground for anything from plastic bottles and food wrappers to more unusual items discarded over time. Like everything else at Northwood, the garbage pickup has turned into a competition in recent years, with students competing to find the “weirdest” piece of trash. While the students await the results, it is safe to say that the open gym group is definitely in the running.
First-year student Zack Klaich ’26 said, “At the start, I did not want to go, but once we started finding things, I felt accomplished. Weirdly, it is fun to pick up trash on the side of the road. You feel like you are giving back to the community, and it feels good. I am glad I was able to participate!
Beyond just cleaning up garbage, the event serves as a reminder of the importance of environmental responsibility. By taking part in this annual tradition, Northwood students not only help improve the appearance of Lake Placid, but also gain a greater appreciation for the role they play in protecting the environment they live in.
