Addison Trail students and staff give back to the community

On Sept. 24, about 50 representatives from Addison Trail participated in the Addison Park District’s Fall Park Pride event. Top: Addison Trail students help clean up Army Trail Nature Center during the event. Bottom left: Addison Trail Principal Michael Bolden lends a hand. Bottom right: Addison Trail Key Club members enjoy giving back. They are (from left) sophomores Brenda Berumen, Arianna Ortiz, Cristina Mannino, Ilvie Karafili and Kristina Bouzarelos Kopta.

On Sept. 24, 19 students who are members of Addison Trail’s Blazers Edge program participated in a community service project to help clean up the Village of Addison. Pictured are (from left) seniors Diana Ramirez, Aileen Cuazitl, Juan Mora and Chris Griffith participating in that event.

Community service is a cornerstone of District 88 pride, and Addison Trail students and staff members recently demonstrated that commitment to giving back and helping others.

On Sept. 24, about 50 representatives from Addison Trail participated in the Addison Park District’s Fall Park Pride event, which involved cleaning up Army Trail Nature Center. They helped groom the park's trails by spreading mulch, clearing brush and trees and removing trash. The Parks and Recreation Foundation of the Addison Park District sponsored this community event and provided tacos from Cilantro Taco Grill in Addison for lunch to reward everyone’s hard work.

Also on Sept. 24, 19 students who are members of Addison Trail’s Blazers Edge program participated in a community service project, where they went on a 6.5-mile bike ride through Addison to pick up garbage around the village. The event was coordinated by Addison Trail physical education teacher Mayra Carrera, Dean Keith Marston and social studies teacher Mario Fernandez, along with social worker Jorge de Leon and Detective Cristobol (Cris) Soto from the Addison Police Department. Blazers Edge is designed to guide and assist seniors who are on the edge of success, and about 60 students are part of that program. The group completes a community service event each fall, winter and spring.